Diagnostic status and epidemiological characteristics of community-acquired bacterial meningitis in children from 2019 to 2020: a multicenter retrospective study.
Juan-Juan Liu: Department of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310051, Zhejiang, China.
Zhi-Wei Xu: Department of Pediatric Infectious Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital & Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, Zhejiang, China.
Hui-Qing Xu: Department of Pediatrics, Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital, Ningbo, 315012, Zhejiang, China.
Jia-Jun Zhu: Department of Neonatology, Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310006, Zhejiang, China.
Jie-Ning Zhang: Department of Pediatrics, Jiaxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Jiaxing, 314000, China.
Sheng-Fu Yuan: Department of Pediatrics, Yuyao People's Hospital, Yuyao, 315400, Zhejiang, China.
He-Jia Ge: Department of Pediatrics, The Second Hospital of Jiaxing, Jiaxing, 314000, Zhejiang, China.
Hai-Jing Li: Department of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Shaoxing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Shaoxing, 312000, Zhejiang, China.
Wen-Ji Lou: Department of Pediatrics, Jinhua Municipal Central Hospital, Jinhua Hospital of Zhejiang University, Jinhua, 321000, China.
Li-Hua Chen: Department of Neonatology, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310051, Zhejiang, China.
Feng Gao: Department of neurology, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310051, Zhejiang, China.
Ying-Hu Chen: Department of Infectious Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310051, Zhejiang, China. cyh18@zju.edu.cn.
Community-acquired bacterial meningitis (CABM) is the main cause of morbidity and mortality in children. The epidemiology of CABM is regional and highly dynamic. To clarify the diagnostic status and epidemiological characteristics of children with CABM in this region, and pay attention to the disease burden, so as to provide evidence for the prevention and treatment of CABM. By retrospective case analysis, the clinical data of 918 CABM cases in children aged 0-14 years in Zhejiang Province from January, 2019 to December, 2020 were collected. The etiological diagnosis rate of CABM in children was 23.1%, the annual incidence rate 4.42-6.15/100,000, the annual mortality rate 0.06-0.09/100,000,the cure and improvement rate 94.4%, and the case fatality rate 1.4%. The total incidence of neuroimaging abnormalities was 20.6%. The median length of stay for CABM children was 20(16) days, with an average cost of 21,531(24,835) yuan. In addition, the incidence rate was decreased with age. Escherichia coli(E.coli) and group B Streptococcus agalactiae(GBS) were the principal pathogens in CABM infant<3 months(43.3%, 34.1%), and Streptococcus pneumoniae(S. pneumoniae) was the most common pathogen in children ≥ 3 months(33.9%). In conclusion, the annual incidence and mortality of CABM in children aged 0-14 years in Zhejiang Province are at intermediate and low level. The distribution of CABM incidence and pathogen spectrum are different in age; the incidence of abnormal neuroimaging is high; and the economic burden is heavy.
