Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, May 7: Kashmiri doctors have conducted a study stressing the need for early diagnosis of Central Nervous System (CNS) infections to prevent complications and save lives while also noting the importance of immunization, which the study has referred to as the key, playing a significant role in reducing the burden of CNS infections among children.
The study, titled “Clinical Spectrum and Etiological Profile of Acute Meningitis and Encephalitis in Children Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital,” was published in the International Journal of Medical Science and Current Research in its March-April 2023 issue.
The research, carried out over two years by doctors from the Paediatric Department at Govt Medical College in Srinagar, aimed to investigate the symptoms, causes, and outcomes of acute meningitis and encephalitis in children admitted to Govt Children Hospital, Bemina.
A total of 240 children between the ages of 1 month and 18 years, showing signs of these infections, were enrolled in the study which has been conducted by Dr Aliya Shah, Dr Vivek Pandita, Dr Khurshid Ahmed Wani, Dr Mohd Suhail Lone, all from the Department of Pediatrics, Govt Children Hospital, Bemina, and Dr Muzzafar Zaman from the Directorate of Health Services.
The findings revealed that the most affected age group was between 1 month and 2 years, and common symptoms included fever, vomiting, neck stiffness, headache, seizures, and changes in mental state.
Among the cases, the researchers noted, 100 were diagnosed with pyogenic meningitis, with Streptococcus pneumoniae, E.coli, Klebsiella, H. influenza, MRSA, and Pseudomonas identified as the most common bacterial causes.
Additionally, it said, 140 cases were diagnosed with non-pyogenic meningitis, including 105 cases of aseptic meningitis and 35 cases of acute encephalitis, underling that the PCR testing detected viral causes, such as Herpes simplex virus (HSV) and Enteroviruses, in 27.1% of the non-pyogenic cases.
The study highlighted that mortality rates were higher in viral meningitis and encephalitis cases compared to bacterial meningitis as out of the 100 bacterial meningitis cases, 97 patients were discharged, while 3 unfortunately did not survive. Similarly, it said, out of the 105 viral meningitis cases, 104 patients were discharged, but 1 patient passed away.
In conclusion, the research emphasized the importance of early diagnosis and prompt treatment initiation for CNS infections in children, while also emphasizing the role of immunization in reducing the burden of these infections in the community.
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