DECODING PEDIATRIC MENINGITIS UNRAVELING THE INTRICACIES OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE IN IRAQI PEDIATRIC PATIENTS

Bacterial meningitis is a common serious infectious diseases in children with tough therapy due to resistance to commonly indicated antibacterial therapy. We sought to characterize the bacterial resistance spectrum of Bacterial meningitis in Iraqi pediatric patients. Fifty-seven patients' CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) microbiological data were reviewed before enrollment of children (less than 4 years old), Gram-stain identification, white blood cells, protein, and glucose assays, and growing the bacterial pathogen from CSF or blood samples. A probable case of bacterial meningitis was determined by leukocytosis (>100 cells/mm 3), turbidity, decreased glucose (100 mg/dl), which provided enough evidence to start antibiotic regimen. Three quarters of the patients diagnosed with meningitis 71.9 % were males, although there was no significant association neither between gender nor age group and drug resistance. There was a significant association between the level of hemoglobin (low level of Hb) and drug resistance (single 68.3%, multiple 29.3%, P value 0.004). Also, there was a significant association between vaccination (unvaccinated patient) and drug resistance (multiple drug resistance) (100%, P value 0.001). This study offers valuable new insights into the characteristics and prognoses of individuals with varying degrees of therapy resistance.