Administration of antibiotics before admission in patients with meningococcal disease
Language English Country Czech Republic Media print
Document type Comparative Study, Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PubMed
12690797
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- MeSH
- Anti-Bacterial Agents administration & dosage MeSH
- Antibiotic Prophylaxis * MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Meningococcal Infections drug therapy mortality MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Neisseria meningitidis drug effects MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Patient Admission * MeSH
- Prospective Studies MeSH
- Treatment Outcome MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Adult MeSH
- Infant MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Adolescent MeSH
- Male MeSH
- Child, Preschool MeSH
- Female MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- Comparative Study MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic epidemiology MeSH
- Names of Substances
- Anti-Bacterial Agents MeSH
PURPOSE: To determine whether parenteral or oral antibiotics given before admission to a regional hospital with a special intensive care unit (ICU) reduce the case fatality rate in patients with meningococcal disease. DESIGN: Prospective analysis of 164 consecutive patients with meningococcal disease admitted to 5 regional hospitals in the Czech Republic between August 1996 and October 2001. Main outcome measure was number of deaths from meningococcal disease. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis. MAIN FINDINGS: Nine out of 116 patients (8%) given antibiotics before admission died, compared with five deaths in 48 patients (10%) admitted without such a treatment (p = 0.55). None of 19 patients given oral or combined oral and parenteral pre-admission antibiotics died. CONCLUSION: Parenteral and probably also oral antibiotics given before admission to a regional hospital and an adequate treatment of shock can reduce the case fatality rate from meningococcal disease.
