Etiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Acute Bacterial Meningitis in Children: A 10-Year Referral Hospital-Based Study in Northwest Iran

BACKGROUND: Bacterial meningitis is still considered as one of the most dangerous infectious diseases, which causes numerous complications and high mortality if not diagnosed and treated timely. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to determine antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacterial pathogens isolated from acute bacterial meningitis at Tabriz Children Educational-Health Care Center in Iran. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a retrospective study (from 2003 through 2013), all patients with bacterial meningitis were identified by cerebrospinal fluids with positive results in culture (107 cases). Patients' necessary data was recorded in a questionnaire. Furthermore, the results of simultaneous blood culture were also examined. Ultimately, antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates was determined using the disc diffusion method. RESULTS: One hundred and seven patients with bacterial meningitis were identified by cerebrospinal fluids with positive results in culture. All of patients (100%) had fever (male/female = 1.27/1). The most prevalent pathogens isolated from CSF culture were Streptococcus pneumoniae (34.5%), Haemophilus influenzae type b (23.36%), Neisseria meningitidis (6.54%), Serratia spp. (6.54%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.6%), respectively. Moreover, the patients' blood culture had positive results in 36.44% of cases with H. influenzae type b (20.65%) and S. pneumoniae (6.54%) as the main bacteria isolated from blood. Meningitis occurred mostly in children under two years (P = 0.001). According to antimicrobial susceptibility test, a relatively high resistance was reported against some conventional cephalosporins and other antibiotics. CONCLUSIONS: S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae type b were the main pathogens of bacterial meningitis in children in the area under study. Most species had relatively high resistance to conventional antibiotics as compared to the past.