Hearing disorders after Haemophilus influenzae meningitis. Comparison of different drug regimens.

Of 131 children with bacteriologically verified Haemophilus influenzae meningitis, 75 were treated with ampicillin sodium and 45 with a combination of chloramphenicol, sulfonamides, and penicillin G sodium during the first 72 hours. Audiological and neuro-otologic examinations performed 1 to 15 years later showed that 3 patients were totally deaf, 11 had moderate and 15 minimal hearing losses, and 6 had vestibular disorders. All three deaf children and all those with recognized vestibular disorders had been treated with ampicillin. The severe sequelae, both otologic and nonotologic, tended to occur in children of the lower social groups. There were 15 ears with moderate hearing loss; the lesion was cochlear in nine and retrocochlea in four; it could not be localized in two. Ampicillin was given in relatively low dosage, but the results strongly support the value of chloramphenicol of "triple therapy" as weapons against H influenzae meningitis.