Bacterial meningitis in children <2 years of age in a tertiary care hospital in South India: an assessment of clinical and laboratory features.

Objectives To assess the clinical and laboratory features of suspected meningitis to assist in the accurate diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in young Indian children. Study design Children Results A total of 2564 children with suspected meningitis were enrolled over 45 months; 156 cases of aseptic and 51 cases of bacterial meningitis were identified. Stiff neck and bulging fontanelle were more common in bacterial meningitis ( P Conclusions Signs of bacterial meningitis and proposed criteria for high suspicion of bacterial meningitis are non-specific in this population. Standard microbiological tests for bacteria are insensitive in this setting, necessitating highly sensitive methods to identify bacterial meningitis.