MENINGITIS FOLLOWING TRAUMA TO THE HEAD AND FACE

Abstract

The seriousness of infections complicating injuries to the head and face prompted a study of 91 cases of post-traumatic meningitis. While all the injuries were severe, definite evidence of fracture of the skull or nose was noted in only 48 instances. In this series, the interval between the trauma and the development of meningitis ranged from several hours to five years. In addition to the typical symptomatology of meningitis, noted in all the patients, there were 15 instances of rhinorrhea or otorrhea and 13 cases with bleeding from the ears or nose. The pneumococcus was the etiologic agent in 47 instances and various other organisms were found in the remaining cases. The low recovery rate of 5 among 42 patients in the prechemotherapeutic era contrasted sharply with a recovery of 18 among 20 patients on antibiotic therapy. The occurrence of repeated bouts of meningitis in three patients was a disturbing problem.