Artificial ventilation and prognostic factors in bacterial meningitis.

The use of artificial ventilation in patients with bacterial meningitis was increased from 8.0% of 176 patients admitted in 1966-1968 to 31.5% of 162 patients admitted in 1975-1976. The therapeutic regimen was otherwise unchanged. The fatality rate decreased from 14.2% in the first period to 8.6% in the second, whereas the rate of neurological sequelae increased from 11.3% to 16.9%. A linear logistic model analysis was applied to correct for the influence of factors of known prognostic importance in the two periods, e. g. age, level of consciousness at admission, mode of admission and etiology. The analysis showed a significant 50% reduction in fatality rate (p = 0.05), whereas the corrected rate of neurological sequelae appeared similar in the two periods. Our results suggest that an increased use of respirator treatment may improve the prognosis in bacterial meningitis.