Bacterial Meningitis in Children Aged from 0 to 15 Years Hospitalized in Paediatrics at the Gabriel Touré University Hospital Centre

Meningitis is an inflammatory process, generally of infectious origin, affecting the meninges. Bacterial meningitis is due to the invasion of the cerebrospinal fluid by a bacteria which develops there. The objective was to determine the extent of bacterial meningitis in children aged 0 to 15 years. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of an epidemio-clinical nature over a period of 12 months from January to December 2008 in the paediatrics department of the Gabriel Touré University Hospital Centre in Bamako, Mali. The most affected age group was 0 to 11 months with 43.3% and a male predominance at 51.9%. The peak was observed during the month of March with 25.7%. The Bambara were in the majority with 39.6%, commune I was the most represented (25.7%). Meningitis was the main diagnosis at entry (93.6%); the most encountered germs were: Neisseria meningitidis (44.4%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (32.1%) and Haemophilus influenzae type b (14.4%). Neisseria meningitidis was sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, Ceftriaxone and Cefotaxime; Streptococcus pneumoniae, sensitive to Ampicillin and Ceftriaxone; Haemophilus influenzae type b reacted to Ciprofloxacin. The evolution was favourable without sequelae in 64.7% and death occurred in 22.5% of cases. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most lethal germ with 57.1%. The role of the laboratory is essential in helping the doctor make the diagnosis of meningitis, specifying its bacterial, viral, mycotic and parasitic aetiology for effective treatment.