DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2023.v11i06.015

Pages: 1066-1069

Background: Meningitis is an infection of the membranes that protect the spinal cord as well as brain. Bacterial meningitis (BM) continues to be a major source of mortality and morbidity in infants and children throughout the world despite of advances in antibiotics. But in Bangladesh, we have not enough research-based information regarding the treatment and outcomes of acute bacterial meningitis in children. Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the management of acute bacterial meningitis in children. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted in the department of Paediatrics, Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College & Hospital, Bogura, Bangladesh during the period from January 2020 to December 2022. In total 47 patients with acute bacterial meningitis were enrolled in this study as study subjects. Proper written consent was taken from all the participants before data collection. As per the inclusion criteria of this study, patients with bacterial meningitis aged between 2 and 16 years were included. All the demographic and clinical data of the participants were recorded. A predesigned questionnaire was used in data collection. All data were processed, analyzed and disseminated using MS Excel and SPSS version 23 program as necessary. Results: In this intervention, as antibiotic therapy, ‘ceftriaxone alone’ was used in the highest number of cases which was used in 36%. Besides this, ‘ampicillin plus gentamycin’, ‘ceftriaxone plus gentamycin’ and ‘crystalline penicillin plus chloramphenicol’ were used in 21%, 28% and 15% cases respectively. On the other hand, steroid was used among 45% patients. Finally in analyzing the outcomes among the participants we observed that, majority of the patients got ‘good outcomes or improvement’ which was in 66%. Poor outcomes were found among one third of total cases (34%). Conclusion: Proper antibiotic selection and timely use of steroids may reduce the complications and deaths among acute ..........