All issues > Volume 11(6); 1968

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1968;11(6):295-302. Published online June 30, 1968.

Clinical Studies on Acute Menigitis in Infancy and Childhood

Yung-Whan Chung¹, Doo-Hun Bang¹, Kun-Soo Lee¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea

Abstract

41 cases of viral meningitis and 63 cases of acute bacterial meningitis were observed at National Medical Center during the years 1960 through 1967. Among the 104 cases, 66 cases (63. 5%) were male and 38cases (36. 5%) were female. The most frequent age group was infancy. In viral meningitis, school age group was the most common. Fever was the most common chief complaints and vomiting, convulsion, headache were next common. Most cases developed during the spring in bacterial meningitis and summer in the viral meningitis. Examination o£ the cerebrospinal fluid before treatment revealed marked pleocytosis (311/cmm in viral and 9,784/cmm in bacterial meningitis) and polymorphonuclear cells are predominat especially in bacterial meningitis. Protein value was markedly increased in bacterial meningitis (271 mg. %)and mode rately increased (62.8 mg. %) in viral meningitis. Sugar of CSF was markedly decreased (36.7 mg. %) in bacterial meningitis and it was compared with blood sugar (148 mg. %) which was taken at the same time. No sugar reduction was noticed in viral meningitis. Pneumococcus was cultured from the cerebrospinal fluid in 6 cases (6.1% tested) and was seen on direct smear in 13 cases (20.6% tested). Meningococcus was cultured from CSF in 4 cases (4.0% tested) and was seen on direct smear in 5 cases (7.9% tested). 24 cases expired during the hospitalization (23.1 % of mortality).

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