Epidemiology of Meningococcal Infections in Children in Mid-Southern Part of Turkey

• Published in: European journal of epidemiology Vol. 11; no. 4; pp. 393 - 396
• Main Authors: Alhan, Emre, Bozdemir, Nafiz, Yüksel, Bilgin, Önenli, Neslihan, Kocabaş, Emine, Aksaray, Necmi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Kluwer Academic Publishers 01-08-1995; Springer
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Distribution; Age groups; Bacteremia - drug therapy; Bacteremia - epidemiology; Bacteremia - mortality; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Children; Epidemiology; Female; Hospital admissions; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Meningitis, Meningococcal - drug therapy; Meningitis, Meningococcal - epidemiology; Meningitis, Meningococcal - mortality; Meningococcal infections; Meningococcal Infections - drug therapy; Meningococcal Infections - epidemiology; Meningococcal Infections - mortality; Meningococcal meningitis; Mortality; Penicillin; Penicillin G - administration & dosage; Penicillin G - therapeutic use; Penicillins - administration & dosage; Penicillins - therapeutic use; Population; Prognosis; Risk Factors; Sex Distribution; Survival Rate; Turkey - epidemiology; Asia; Turkey; Human; Infection; Demography; Socioeconomic status; Mortality; Bacteriosis; Child; Epidemiology; Public health; Meningococcal disease; Health; Respiratory Infections; Seasonal Variation; Biology; Infections; Mediterranean Countries; Research Methodology; Cerebrovascular Effects; Child Mortality; Diseases; Studies; Turkey; Asia; Western Asia; Population; Research Report; Developing Countries; Physiology; Retrospective Studies; Child Health; Demographic Factors; Population Dynamics
• ISSN: 0393-2990; 0392-2990; 1573-7284
• DOI: 10.1007/BF01721223

59 patients were treated for meningococcal infections in Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 50.8% of patients were male, 33.9% were under two years of age and 61% were under five. 78% of patients were admitted to hospital in winter and spring time. Meningococcal meningitis (MM) was present in 39% of patients on admission, however, meningococcemia in 27.1% and meningococcemia and meningococcic meningitis (Meningococcemia + MM) in 33.9%. Fatality rate was 18.6% and no association was found between mortality and clinical type of disease (p > 0.05), but mortality ratio decreased with an increasing age (p < 0.01). No deaths occurred among the 12 patients who received IV penicillin treatment shortly before admitting to hospital, on the other hand 11 of 47 patients (23.4%) without such a previous treatment died.