Abstract
We conducted cerebrospinal fluid analysis to examine the incidences of meningitis and suspected meningitis and compared its findings with cerebrospinal fluid culture results. We also investigated the rate of bacteria detection and its annual changes. These examinations were conducted over 5 years from 2008 to 2012 in three hospitals with different numbers of beds (Fukuoka, Nagano and Okinawa). The examination results from the three hospitals showed that the most commonly detected bacteria were Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) in this order. These investigations revealed that the rate of uncultivable bacteria is as high as 41.1% and the rate of detection of other microorganisms is as low as 3.6%. Laboratory findings showed a lower ratio of the level of serum glucose to that of cerebrospinal fluid glucose in the culture-positive group than in the culture-negative group. From the annual changes in the rate of detection of pathogenic bacteria causing meningitis, it was shown that H. influenzae has not been detected since 2011 and the rate of S. pneumoniae detection transiently decreased in 2010, but continued to increase thereafter. It is considered that medication can be administered confidently when genetic testing shows positivity for microorganisms even in cases in which a pathogenic bacterium is not detected, which can lead to the treatment of meningitis. Therefore, it is also suggested that genetic testing is required in future examinations.
