Aim: To determine the incidence and causative organism of acute bacterial meningitis in patients presented with suspected meningitis

Study Design: Cross sectional study

Place and duration: This study was conducted in Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Islamabad, Pakistan from April 2019 to March 2020.

Methodology: A total of 350 patients with suspected meningitis were included in the study. Lumbar puncture is used to obtain samples of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF analysis, CSF microbiological inspection, blood culture, and antibiotic sensitivity testing were all performed. In certain individuals, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was conducted prior to lumbar puncture. All patients with acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) had their epidemiologic characteristics, clinical data, and laboratory findings analyzed in detail, as well as the causative organisms and prognosis.

Results: Meningitis was found in people of all ages. A considerable number of meningitis patients (60 percent) indicated a positive history of antibiotic use in the days leading up to hospital admission. CSF leukocyte counts in the range of > 100 to 1,000 cell/mm3 were found in 79.1% of ABM patients, while CSF neutrophil percentages were found in 80%. In 86.4 percent of patients, microorganisms were discovered on a direct Gram-stained smear. Gram-positive bacteria were found in 55 of 110 cases (50 percent). Gram-negative bacteria were found in 40 of the 110 cases (36.4 percent). ABM had a high risk of death (22.7 percent). ABM had a mortality rate of 22.7 percent.

Conclusions: Meningitis is an endemic disease in our region, with a high fatality rate. Acute bacterial meningitis is very common in patients presenting with suspected meningitis. The most prevalent pathogen was Streptococcus pneumoniae.