Acute bacterial meningitis in adults: a 20 year review.

During the period Jaunuary 1982 to December 2001 (20 years), a retrospective study in patients 15 years or older with acute bacterial meningitis who were admitted to Songklanagarind Hospital was carried out. There were 180 episodes in 161 cases of acute bacterial meningitis with an increasing incidence of disease during the study. Fifty-nine percent of episodes were nosocomial infection. The classic triad of acute bacterial meningitis was found in 54% of cases. The most common pathogen was Streptococcus pneumoniae (11.7%) in which 19% of these strain were penicillin-resistant. Gram-negative bacilli were common organisms in nosocomial meningitis (32.1%). Twenty-five patients died from meningitis with a mortality rate of 15.5%. Risk factors for mortality older age were than 60 years, HIV infection, impaired mental status and shock.