Bacteriological Profile of Acute Meningitis: A one Year Study in a Tertiary Care Centre in Assam

Bacterial meningitis is still a life threatening epidemiological problem especially in many developing countries. The aim of the present study is to ascertain different bacterial agents from cerebrospinal fluid of patients with signs and symptoms of acute meningitis admitted in Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati and to determine their in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of different bacterial isolates. A total of 316 cerebrospinal fluid specimens were processed by standard procedures for culture and antibiotic susceptibility patterns the Department of Microbiology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, from August 2009 to July 2010. Bacterial pathogens were isolated from 44 patients showing an isolation rate of 13.91%. The predominant organism in CSF culture was Staphylococcus aureus 15 (34.1%), followed by Klebsiella sp. 8 (18.18%), Escherichia coli 6 (13.63%), Acinetobacter sp. 4 (9.09%), Neisseria meningitidis 2 (4.54%) and Streptococcal pneumoniae, 2 (4.54%). All the Gram positive isolates were 100% sensitive to Linezolid and Vancomycin. The Gram negative bacilli isolates were found to be highly sensitive to Polymyxin B, Imipenem and Piperacillin- Tazobactum. Among the cephalosporins, least sensitive was Cefoperazone followed by Ceftriaxone, Cefotaxime and Ceftazidime. The present study reveals the changing epidemiological trend of acute bacterial meningitis in this part of the country along with their changing in vitro antimicrobial susceptibility pattern. This microbiological study may provide a guideline to formulate the initial empiric antibiotic therapy for the patients of acute bacterial meningitis.