Abstract

RUIZ, Karla; SOAVE, Yanina; TORRES, Mary  and  ALCALA, Nelson. Uso de una escala clínica predictiva para el diagnóstico de meningitis bacteriana en pediatría. Arch Venez Puer Ped [online]. 2010, vol.73, n.1, pp.014-019. ISSN 0004-0649.

Introduction: The overlapping of findings suggestive of bacterial or viral meningitis in cerebrospinal fluid makes it difficult to differentiate one of another. For decades, investigators have attempted to create clinical prediction scores to resolve such disjunctive. The objective of this investigation was to determine the validity and safety of a clinical prediction score for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in childhood. Methods: We performed a retrospective, transversal, diagnostic test evaluation study of a sample of patients between 29 days to 12 years of age, discharged from January 1992 to December 2006, with diagnosis of meningitis, from the Pediatrics Department of Dr. Jesús Yerena Hospital, in Caracas, Venezuela. The clinical prediction score was applied. We evaluated its validity and safety with the calculation of sensibility, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Results: A total of 41 patients were included. Male gender was more common (n= 29; 70,73 %). The infant age group was predominant (n=26 ; 63,41 %). We identified 14 bacterial meningitis and 27 aseptic meningitis. With the clinical prediction score, 31 meningitis were classified as high risk of bacterial meningitis and 10 as low risk. The sensibility and the negative predictive value were 100 %. Conclusions: The clinical prediction score applied resulted to be valid and safe for identifying patients without bacterial meningitis.

Keywords : Bacterial meningitis; Pediatrics; Clinical score; Validity.