Biomaterial Database

Hearing in children after meningococcal meningitis. 2000

R Drake, and J Dravitski, and L Voss

Departments of Paediatrics and Audiology, Starship Children's Hospital, Grafton, Auckland, New Zealand. r.drake@auckland.ac.nz

OBJECTIVE To review the outcome of sensorineural hearing loss in children who have had confirmed meningococcal meningitis. METHODS A retrospective audit of children admitted to the Starship Children's Hospital with a confirmed diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis during a 4-year period. RESULTS Sixty-five children had confirmed meningococcal meningitis. Dexamethasone was administered according to recommended guidelines in 46 children (72%) while 12 children (19%) did not receive steroids at any stage. All children were appropriately referred for hearing assessment. Forty-nine children (75%) had their hearing tested and reliable sensorineural evaluation was obtained in all but one case. Thirty-four children (70%) were seen up to 6 weeks from discharge, 86% by 12 weeks. Sixteen cases (25%) did not attend for audiological assessment. Sensorineural hearing impairment was found in two children (4.2%). CONCLUSIONS Children with meningococcal meningitis were reliably referred for audiological assessment but 39% either failed to attend for an outpatient hearing evaluation (25%) or had an unacceptable delay between discharge and testing (14%). Of those reliably tested, two children (4.2%) had significant sensorineural hearing loss.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D008585	Meningitis, Meningococcal	A fulminant infection of the meninges and subarachnoid fluid by the bacterium NEISSERIA MENINGITIDIS, producing diffuse inflammation and peri-meningeal venous thromboses. Clinical manifestations include FEVER, nuchal rigidity, SEIZURES, severe HEADACHE, petechial rash, stupor, focal neurologic deficits, HYDROCEPHALUS, and COMA. The organism is usually transmitted via nasopharyngeal secretions and is a leading cause of meningitis in children and young adults. Organisms from Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, B, C, Y, and W-135 have been reported to cause meningitis. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp689-701; Curr Opin Pediatr 1998 Feb;10(1):13-8)	Meningitis, Neisseria,Neisseria Meningitis,Meningitis, Meningococcal, Serogroup A,Meningitis, Meningococcal, Serogroup B,Meningitis, Meningococcal, Serogroup C,Meningitis, Meningococcal, Serogroup W-135,Meningitis, Meningococcal, Serogroup W135,Meningitis, Meningococcal, Serogroup Y,Meningitis, Meningococcic,Meningococcal Meningitis, Serogroup A,Meningococcal Meningitis, Serogroup B,Meningococcal Meningitis, Serogroup C,Meningococcal Meningitis, Serogroup W-135,Meningococcal Meningitis, Serogroup W135,Meningococcal Meningitis, Serogroup Y,Serogroup A Meningococcal Meningitis,Serogroup B Meningococcal Meningitis,Serogroup C Meningococcal Meningitis,Serogroup W-135, Meningococcal Meningitis,Serogroup W135, Meningococcal Meningitis,Serogroup Y, Meningococcal Meningitis,Meningococcal Meningitis,Meningococcal Meningitis, Serogroup W 135,Neisseria Meningitides,Serogroup W 135, Meningococcal Meningitis
D009520	New Zealand	A group of islands in the southwest Pacific. Its capital is Wellington. It was discovered by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642 and circumnavigated by Cook in 1769. Colonized in 1840 by the New Zealand Company, it became a British crown colony in 1840 until 1907 when colonial status was terminated. New Zealand is a partly anglicized form of the original Dutch name Nieuw Zeeland, new sea land, possibly with reference to the Dutch province of Zeeland. (From Webster's New Geographical Dictionary, 1988, p842 & Room, Brewer's Dictionary of Names, 1992, p378)
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D005260	Female		Females
D006319	Hearing Loss, Sensorineural	Hearing loss resulting from damage to the COCHLEA and the sensorineural elements which lie internally beyond the oval and round windows. These elements include the AUDITORY NERVE and its connections in the BRAINSTEM.	Deafness Neurosensory,Deafness, Neurosensory,Deafness, Sensoryneural,Neurosensory Deafness,Sensorineural Hearing Loss,Sensoryneural Deafness,Cochlear Hearing Loss,Hearing Loss, Cochlear,Deafnesses, Neurosensory,Deafnesses, Sensoryneural,Neurosensory Deafnesses,Sensoryneural Deafness,Sensoryneural Deafnesses
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths