Childhood Central Nervous System Infections: Are We under Estimating the True Burden?

Abstract

Children are more susceptible than adults to acquire central nervous system (CNS) infections. This study assesses the validity of routine cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture with the meningitis/encephalitis (ME) FilmArray to detect etiological agents in CNS infections. Based on CSF culture, only 5/40 samples were positive in suspected meningitis, whereas 24/40 samples were positive with the ME FilmArray (p = 0.01). Sensitivity and specificity of conventional culture method were 55.81 and 100%. Overall disability adjusted life years in the study cohort was 1,603.5. Conventional culture with clinical suspicion alone is not enough to obtain an etiological diagnosis of meningitis. The implementation of novel diagnostic techniques is crucial.

Keywords

CNS infection - conventional culture method - novel diagnostic

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