Childhood meningitis in a tertiary hospital in Addis Ababa: clinical and epidemiological features.

Hospital based prospective study of 136 children aged 3 months to 12 years admitted as cases of meningitis between June 1996 and May 1997 was undertaken to assess the epidemiological features, evaluate the outcome and measure the duration of clinical improvement after initiation of treatment. Infants accounted for 79 (58%) of cases and 23 (68%) of deaths. Next to fever and vomiting, neurologic signs were the commonest presentation. H. influenzae, S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis accounted for 90% of culture isolates. Delayed presentation, partial treatment, altered sensorium at admission and pneumococcal meningitis were risk factors for mortality. The morbidity and mortality rates were 25% of total cases each. The mean duration of fever was 3.7 (+/- 2.27) days after treatment. The morbidity and mortality rates are still high in this hospital.