Bacteriological Profile of Post-Neurosurgical Meningitis in Indian Children

Schutze GE, Jacobs FR. Brucella. In: Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 16th edn. Philadelphia: WB Saunders 2000:867-9 2 Caksen H, Arslan S, Oner AF, et al. Childhood brucellosis is still a severe problem in the eastern region of Turkey. Trop Doct 2002;32:91-2 3 Alp H, Ozkan B, Ertekin V, Altinkaynak S, Yigit H, Diineray H. Brucellosis in childhood: evaluation of 27 cases [in Turkish]. J Child 2001;1:210-14 4 Aksoy H, Erkoc R, Dilek I, et al. Van yiiresinde 20 ya§ ve iistii bireylerde Brusella epidemiyolojis, Van. 270 [in Turkish]. 1 Ulusal Tropikal Kongresi. Program ve Bildiri Ozetieri, 1998 The most common signs and symptoms of brucellosis are fever, fatigue, excessive sweating, arthralgia, hepatosplenomegaly, and lymphadenopathyl-j-". On laboratory examination, anaemia, leukopenia, leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, pancyto~enia, and elevated liver enzymes may also be seenl. As symptoms, signs and first-line laboratory findings are not characteristic in patients with long-lasting malaise and anorexia, anaemia, high ESR and high ALT (especially if they are living in regions where people are in close contact with animals) brucellosis must be considered in differential diagnosis. A variety of regimens have been used for the treatment of childhood brucellosis. Combination of SM plus either tetracycline or TS, combination of rifampicin plus either doxycycline or TS, gentamycine plus TS may be usedl". In our patients, similar drug combinations were successfully used. Since brucellosis is still an important and common health problem in eastern Turkey the public must be educated and informed about this disease and there should be more governmental control over the sale and consumption of unprocessed milk products. Bacteriological profile of post-neurosurgical meningitis in Indian children