Haemophilus influenzae meningitis: a 5-year study in Ibadan, Nigeria.

A total of 131 children with Haemophilus influenzae meningitis was studied over a period of 5 years. Of these, 92% and of those who died from this disease, 94% were 2 years old or less. Mortality was 26% and morbidity among the survivors was 36%. Most of the children studied were marasmic. The seasonal incidence is discussed since incidence peaked mainly in the dry season with a secondary peak in the rainy season. Haemoglobin (H6) electrophoresis, done in respect of a few children, showed a significantly higher incidence of Hb SS among patients than in the general population. This relationship is being studied further. The prognosis did not appear to be significantly affected by the choice between a combination of penicillin and chloramphenicol on the one hand and ampicillin alone on the other. A combination of penicillin and chloramphenicol is preferred to chloramphenicol alone in initiating therapy because 100% of strains of H. influenzae isolated in our laboratory are susceptible to chloramphenicol but only 75% of strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae are susceptible to this drug.