THE COURSE OF GENERALIZED FORMS OF MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION IN CHILDREN OF THE LVIV REGION DURING 2011-2019

Abstract

Relevance. Meningococcal infection (MI) is one of the most significant bacterial infections in children, it is characterized by life-threatening and unpredictable fulminant course in the structure of infectious diseases. Objective. To analyze the clinical and laboratory features of generalized forms of MI in children of Lviv region during 2011-2019. Materials and methods. Retrospective analysis of 254 case reports of patients with generalized forms of MI, hospitalized in regional infectious diseases clinical hospital during 2011 -2019 years, was conducted, as well as 14 protocols for post-mortem examination of deceased from generalized forms of MI children during 2011-2019. 203 medical records with confirmed diagnosis of the disease were selected. Results. Meningitis as a clinical form was diagnosed in 48 children (23.6%), meningoencephalitis in 6 (3%), meningococcemia − in 82 (40.4%), combined form − in 67 children (33%). In children  aged 1 month to 1 year and aged 1 to 3 years the combined form of the disease occurred significantly more often than the isolated clinical form. Analysis of clinical symptoms and major laboratory parameters in various clinical forms of MI were exemplified. 12 children from 5 months up to 4 years 10 months diagnosed with MI generalized form: meningococcemia fulminant form, and one 6-year-old child with purulent meningoencephalitis had died. Conclusions. Despite of gradual decrease of morbidity level and respectively amount of hospitalized patients throughout 2011-2019, a difficult course of generalized forms of MI with development of toxische Schocksyndrom in 77,9% in patients with meningoccocemia were observed. Mortality in meningococcemia was 8,1%, most of the deceased were children aged 3-5 years. Misdiagnosis at the primary level were observed in 14,3%.