Meningitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Meningitis, including details on viral, bacterial, spinal, symptoms, treatment.

Evaluation of a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the diagnosis of pneumococcal and meningococcal meningitis in a tertiary care hospital.

Van Gastel E, Bruynseels P, Verstrepen W, Mertens A

Department of Microbiology, ZNA Middelheim, Antwerp, Belgium. evelyne.vangastel@uzbrussel.be

This study evaluated the performance of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in comparison with Gram staining and culture of cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of meningococcal and pneumococcal meningitis in patients with suspected bacterial meningitis. The sensitivity for detection of Neisseria meningitidis in cerebrospinal fluid was 87% (20/23) for the PCR assay, 27% (6/22) for Gram staining, and 17% (4/23) for culture. The sensitivity for detection of Streptococcus pneumoniae in cerebrospinal fluid was 100% (14/14) for the PCR assay, 62% (8/13) for Gram staining, and 36% (5/14) for culture. Therefore, we recommend that real-time PCR of cerebrospinal fluid for detection of N. meningitidis and S. pneumoniae become a part of the routine diagnostic procedure for patients with suspected bacterial meningitis.

Published 22 August 2007 in Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis, 26(9): 651-3.
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