A Ten-Year Retrospective Review of Medical Records of Patients Admitted with Meningitis or Encephalitis at Five Hospitals in the United States Highlights the Potential for Under-Ascertainment of Invasive Meningococcal Disease
Retrospective review highlights under-ascertainment of invasive meningococcal disease in patients with meningitis, suggesting improvements in specimen collection protocols.
Key Points
Current practices may lead to the under-diagnosis of invasive meningococcal disease, emphasizing the need for better specimen collection.
Out of 675 patients, 44.4% received antibiotics prior to cerebrospinal fluid collection, potentially impacting diagnosis.
Among 651 tested cerebrospinal fluid specimens, none of the blood specimens underwent PCR testing, limiting diagnostic accuracy.
Public health surveillance relies on accurate laboratory diagnosis, highlighting critical gaps in current standards of care.