All issues > Volume 43(1); 2000

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2000;43(1):55-59. Published online January 15, 2000.

Diagnostic Value of Urine Latex Test In Bacterial Meningitis

Seung Min SM Lee¹, Eun Ae EA Park¹, Seung Joo SJ Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, Ewha Womans University, College of M edicine, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

Purpose
: Bacterial meningitis in childhood carries significant mortality and morbidity, so accurate and rapid diagnosis is important. Cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) latex agglutination test has been used for rapid diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. However, urine may be the best specimen for a latex test, because bacterial antigens are concentrated in the urine. The study tried to determine the diagnostic value of urine latex test in bacterial meningitis.
Methods
: We evaluated 219 patients who were suspected with bacterial meningitis and examined CSF Gram stain, CSF culture, CSF latex test and urine latex test. And 17 patients with bacterial meningitis were followed up at post-antibiotics 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 days.
Results
: Sensitivity and specificity of urine latex test in bacterial meningitis were 82.4% and 99.4%. In H. influenzae type b meningitis, the sensitivity and specificity of urine latex test were 100% and 99.4%. The positive rates of urine latex tests after antibiotics treatment persisted significantly longer than the positive rates of CSF culture, smear and latex test.
Conclusion
: Urine latex test was as useful as CSF smear and CSF latex test during the early diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. The urine latex test was more valuable than CSF smear, latex, and culture in partially treated bacterial meningitis, because of persistent positivity after antibiotics treatment.

Keywords :Bacterial meningitis, CSF latex, CSF smear