The cerebrospinal fluid in bacterial meningitis

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical Vol. 27; no. 2; p. 87
• Main Authors: de Campos, C E, Santos, N N, Takahashi, M N, Kawamura, I E, Damião, S V, Kushnaroff, T M, de Campos, E P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Brazil 01.04.1994
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Cerebrospinal Fluid - metabolism; Cerebrospinal Fluid - microbiology; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Haemophilus influenzae - isolation & purification; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Meningitis, Haemophilus - cerebrospinal fluid; Meningitis, Haemophilus - microbiology; Meningitis, Meningococcal - cerebrospinal fluid; Meningitis, Meningococcal - microbiology; Meningitis, Pneumococcal - cerebrospinal fluid; Meningitis, Pneumococcal - microbiology; Neisseria meningitidis - isolation & purification; Streptococcus pneumoniae - isolation & purification
• ISSN: 0037-8682

Samples of 1815 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were studied in a meningitis outbreak during 1989 in São Paulo, Brazil. Neisseria meningitis 56% with 44% type B, Haemophilus influenzae 17%, from which 72% in children (days to 3-year-old) and Streptococcus pneumoniae 14% from which 60% in children (day to 1-year-old) of 443 (24%) of all strains. Cytochemistry study showed: purulent or turbidity aspects in 70 to 79% positive bacterioscopy or culture of CSF; white cells count > 500/mm3; glucose < 45 mg/dl; protein > 90 mg/dl in 90% of all patients. We concluded that: CSF prognostic factors: (aspect and cytochemistry) were correlated with bacterial meningitis. Bacterioscopy and positive cultures were correlated to NM, SP and HI isolation from these patients (Goodman Test).