Frequency of Bacterial Meningitis in Neonates presenting with Sepsis to Department of Pediatrics, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan

Background: Bacterial meningitis is a devastating infection leading to high mortality and morbidity in neonates. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis are essential for achieving good outcomes in affected infants. Over the last several decades, overall incidence and mortality have declined, but morbidity associated with neonatal meningitis remains virtually unchanged. Objective: To determine the frequency of Bacterial Meningitis in Neonates presenting with sepsis to the Department of Pediatrics, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan. Methodology: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in the Pediatric ward, Sheikh Zayed Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan, from July 2021 to January 2022. A total of 120 neonates of either sex with age ≤28 days, who were diagnosed cases of sepsis, were included. Patients with Congenital Heart Disease i.e., ASD, VSD, AV malformations, TB Meningitis, and Bleeding disorders were excluded. Every patient fulfilling the criteria of sepsis as per the operational definition underwent lumbar puncture under full aseptic measures by a medical officer with at least one year of experience in the pediatric department and was labeled as bacterial meningitis. Results: Mean age of neonates was 15.18±4.96 days. Out of the 120 patients, 79 (65.83%) were male and 41 (34.17%) were female, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.9:1. The Frequency of Bacterial Meningitis in this study was 29 (24.17%) neonates presenting with sepsis. Conclusion: The study found a high frequency of Bacterial Meningitis among neonates presenting with sepsis, highlighting the critical need for routine cerebrospinal fluid evaluation in septic neonates.