Azmat Ali, Javaria Ilyas Shaikh, Ahsan Nisar.
Infrequent Isolates on Culture of Cerebrospinal Fluid in patients with Meningitis in Adults.
J Med Sci Jan ;26(1):9-13.

Objective: To identify common pathogens causing meningitis, emerging resistance to antibiotics as delay in treatment may adversely affect outcome. Material and Methods: It was descriptive observational study which was conducted in the Department of Medicine, KRL Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan from January 2014 to December 2016. It enrolled 200 patients with age ranging from 12 to 90 years in whom meningitis was suspected. Two cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected, one for routine examination while other for culture and sensitivity. Data was analyzed using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20. Frequencies and percentages were taken where required. Results: Eighteen (9%) patients showed growth of microorganisms. Among culture isolates 17 (8.5%) were bacteria, 1(0.5%) was Cryptococcus. Relatively more cultures were positive in trauma and surgery related patients mainly gram negative organisms, being sensitive to Tigecycline, Colistin followed by Imipenem/Meropenem. Staphylococcus aureus was sensitive to Linezolid and Vancomycin. There is increasing resistance to cephalosporin. Conclusion: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shows low rates of bacterial growth on culture. Emperical therapy may be tailored according to underlying clinical condition.

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