One hundred and seventy-six cases of suspected meningitis (SMN) were included in a cross-sectional study. Their ages ranged from less than 1 year to 80 years, of whom 44.3% were male. The aim was to assess bacterial meningitis (BMN) in terms of incidence and types of causative bacteria. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) specimens were collected and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis was conducted with universal primers designed to amplify a DNA fragment (996 bp) of the 16S rRNA gene of eubacteria. Resolving PCR products in agarose-gel electrophoresis revealed that 37.5% of CSF specimens were PCR positive, while 62.5% of CSF specimens showed no band and were considered PCR-negative. Eighty percent of the latter specimens were noted to have pleocytosis, in addition to having protein and/or glucose concentrations lower or higher than those in the normal range (abnormal CSF). The remaining 20.0% of CSF specimens were considered normal regarding pleocytosis, protein, and glucose (normal CSF). When the amplified DNA of PCR-positive specimens was subjected to sequencing and alignment with reference sequences, both Gram-negative (GN) and Gram-positive (GP) bacteria were identified (23 and 9 types, respectively). Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were the most common GN bacteria (each with 17.8%), while Staphylococcus spp. was the most common GP bacteria (43.75%). The study concluded that BMN presents an important public health challenge, and PCR analysis of the CSF was an effective method for diagnosing pathogenic bacteria in SMN. In addition, leukocytes, glucose, and protein are valuable CSF parameters that may aid in the diagnosis of BMN.
Bacterial meningitis is a leading cause of illness and death worldwide. It is crucial for clinical and public health care, as well as disease control, to identify the meningitis-causing agent promptly. Between June 2021-February 2022, a total of 100 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood samples were collected from suspected cases of meningitis admitted to Raparin Paediatric Teaching Hospital, Erbil city-Iraq. Cytochemical, cultural, and biochemical tests were conducted, and confirmed by molecular techniques. Bacterial culture findings were positive in 7% of CSF samples and just one positive among blood samples. The most common pathogens found by cultural characteristics and VITEK 2 Compact System were Staphylococcus sciuri in two
... Show MoreBackground: There is a need for a periodic review of acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) since the pathogens responsible for infection vary with time, geography and patient's age. This study was carried out to describe the epidemiology of different types of meningitis and variables affecting the outcome (improvement, complication and death).
Patients and Methods: All the cases of meningitis diagnosed and treated at Ibn- Al-Khateeb Teaching Hospital for the period Jan. 1993 to Dec. 1998 were included in this study. The collected data were age, sex, occupation, date of admission, date of discharge, type of meningitis and outcome of the disease.
Results: Out of the total cases, 73.3% were ABM. High rate of A
Background: The periodic review conducted of acute bacterial meningitis in children younger than 5 years of age in Baghdad to reflect changes in the epidemiological pattern of this infection.
Patients and Methods: Sixty patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of meningitis who were admitted to Central Teaching Hospital in Baghdad City were included in a prospective study started from the 1st October till the 30th of December 2009. By bacteriological study, biochemical and cytological study in the laboratory, WBCs in the blood with differential count was done to support the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.
Results: Present study revealed that from (60) patients (6) cases (10.0 %) showed posi
Background: Childhood meningitis is a major
cause of morbidity and mortality, Hemophilus
influenza b (Hib) is the most common cause in
many countries, especially below 5 years and
before the development of conjugated Hib vaccine,
it is followed by Streptococcus Pneumonia, and
then N. meningitides, in addition to other
microorganisms.
Objective: To identify the causative organisms
of bacterial meningitis and to identify the factors
predisposing significantly to the incidence of
bacterial meningitis.
Method: This cross sectional , study was done in
Al-Elwia Pediatric Hospital during the period 1st
of January 2007 to 30th of June 2007.Eighty four
patients with presumptive diagnosis of meningitis<
Leishmaniasis is a group of parasitic diseases caused by Leishmania spp., an endemic infectious agent in developing countries, including Iraq. Diagnosis of cutaneous lesion by stained smears, serology or histopathology are inaccurate and unable to detect the species of Leishmania. Here, two molecular typing methods were examined to identify the promastigotes of suspected cutaneous leishmaniasis samples, on a species level. The first was species-specific B6-PCR and the second was ITS1-PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using restriction enzyme HaeIII. DNA was extracted from in vitro promastigote culture followed by amplification of kDNA by B6 or amplification and digestion of LITSR/L
... Show MoreBackground: The occurrence of seizures in bacterial meningitis is important, as it has been reported to increase the risk of complications; however, its frequency and predictors are not well studied yet. Objective: To assess the frequency, clinical, and biochemical predictors of seizures in children with acute bacterial meningitis. Method: A cross-sectional study recruited confirmed acute bacterial meningitis cases based on positive CSF culture and sensitivity among children aged 2 months to 15 years admitted to the Central Child Teaching Hospital emergency department in Iraq. Patients were divided into two groups based on seizure at presentation time. Demographic characteristics [age, gender, residence, duration of fever and disease, prese
... Show MoreLeishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease that occurs as a result of infection with a unicellular parasite belonging to the genus Leishmania. Diagnosis by conventional methods is inaccurate and is not sensitive to confirm the genus infection. Here, we have investigated a methods for Leishmania genus diagnosis, which includes the technique of polymerase chain reaction to detect the presence of the parasite at in vitro for promastigote cultures using three genus-specific primer pairs to amplify HSP70, ITS, and ITS2. The results showed single band of ~1422, ~1020, and ~550 respectively. This study has proved the ability of these primer pairs to detect Leishmania infection and recommend them to be used for detection of leishmaniasis in
... Show MoreThis study focuses on the relative frequency of Streptococcus pneumoniae in children with culture-proven bacterial meningitis. The epidemiology has been investigated with clinical and laboratory findings in The Central Public Health Laboratory, Iraq from April to September, 2010. From (138) samples , (55) cases (39.85 %) were diagnosed by physician as bacterial meningitis, (23) cases (16.66 %) as viral menginitis , (18) cases (13.04 %) as different medical cases (e.g febrile convulsion , meningoencephalitis , epilepsy …etc) and (42) cases (30.43 %) as unidentified medical cases. For bacterial meningitis S.pneumoniae was isolated from (10) cases (18.18 %) only. The median age for bacterial meningitis was (130.75) month and the predomina
... Show MoreObjective: the aim of the study is to assess the knowledge and practices for nurses that working in
words of Ibn Al-kuff hospital for spinal cord injuries.
Methodology: descriptive study from the period of (1st of July to the 30th August 2005) about the
knowledge and practical management when autonomic dysreflexia syndrome affects those patients
whom sleeping in the words of this hospital and its relationship with some variables.
The sample of the study consists of (100) nurses male and females are selected purposively. a
questionnaire check list was designed for study purpose and applied by (test - retest) to improve the
reliability, the validity of the assessment was determined through a panel of experts.
The da