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Query: UMLS:C0023380 (lethargy)
 5,697 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The children were admitted over a 14-year period (1975-1988) from an admission area of average Danish population distribution. The incidence was 15.5/100,000 children per year. The area had endemics of meningococcal disease in the years 1983-1984. The etiology was meningococcal in 43%, Hemophilus influenzae in 33% and pneumococci in 9% of the patients. Regardless of etiology, the antibiotic schedule was ampicillin 400 mg/kg body weight/day. Resistance to ampicillin was not found in any of the bacterial cultures. Within two weeks before admission 59% of the children had experienced a febrile illness. The diagnosis of meningitis was missed before admission in 24% of the cases. On admission, 93% had typical clinical signs of meningitis. 87% were lethargic or comatose. 31% had convulsion and in 13% the peripheral circulation was compromised. Recrudescence was suspected in one patient. Sequelae were most commonly found in children with meningococcal meningitis and were persistent in 23% of all the children. Severe or less severe neurological handicaps were seen in 29% (psychomotor retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy and hearing loss). One patient with Waterhouse-Friederichsens syndrome died. Thus the overall mortality was 1.2%, which is low compared to treatment results reported by others.
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PMID:[Purulent meningitis in childhood. Treatment results in 87 children between 7 month and 15 years of age]. 200 Jun 65

The relationship of symptoms and signs to age and the reasons for consulting a physician were analyzed in 110 cases of culture-proven childhood bacterial meningitis. H. influenzae caused 74, meningococci 28, pneumococci 6 and streptococci 2 of the cases. Apart from fever (present in 94%), the most common symptoms according to age were as follows: 1-5 months: irritability (85%), 6-11 months: impaired consciousness (79%), 12 months or more: vomiting (82%) and neck rigidity (78%). Absence of neck rigidity at diagnosis was associated with young age (less than 12 months, P less than 0.001) and, in older children, to a short duration of symptoms (P less than 0.01) but not to the degree of CSF pleocytosis. Symptoms of meningitis caused by H. influenzae differed from those of meningococcal meningitis. Meningitis should be suspected in irritable or lethargic febrile children despite absence of neck rigidity. Fever and vomiting were the most frequent reasons for consulting a physician (60% and 31%, respectively). Despite the frequency and alarming character of irritability, impaired consciousness and neck rigidity, their presence led infrequently to a consultation (6%, 22% and 3%, respectively). Parental ignorance of such symptoms or of their importance may cause treatment delay, despite readily available medical services.
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PMID:Childhood bacterial meningitis: initial symptoms and signs related to age, and reasons for consulting a physician. 331 86

Meningitis is defined as an inflammation of the protective covering of brain and spinal cord collectively called as meninges. Meningeal infection can be complicated by intraventricular empyema. There are 9 cases of intraventricular empyema described in the literature out of which only three are described to be caused by Neisseria meningitidis. We report the fourth rare case. A 61-year-old female with past medical history of diabetes and hypertension presented with the chief complaint of fever with chills and headache of 1-day duration. CT head did not reveal any acute abnormalities. Lumbar puncture was obtained and empiric IV antimicrobial agents were started. CSF analysis showed gram negative diplococci with culture growing Neisseria meningitidis suggesting meningococcal meningitis. Due to persistent headache and lethargy after complicated meningitis was suspected and MRI of brain was obtained which reflected a diagnosis of intraventricular empyema. Pyogenic ventriculitis also known as intraventricular empyema or ependymitis, is a defined as an inflammation of the ependymal lining of the cerebral ventricular system and is characterized by the presence of suppurative fluid in the ventricles. It is a health care associated complication and is often confused with meningitis due to the similar presentation. Therefore, persistent symptoms despite optimal antimicrobial therapy (therapeutic failure) should alarm the presence of pyogenic ventriculitis. This is the fourth case of intraventricular empyema reported secondary to Neisseria meningitidis. Our case reiterates that clinicians should maintain an index of suspicion for complicated meningitis in patients not responding to standard antimicrobial therapy.
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PMID:Intraventricular empyema caused by Neisseria meningitidis. 3078 18