Anders Batman Mjelle

Aim Bacterial meningitis (BM) has become less frequent, partly due to national vaccination programmes, and recent data on BM in Nordic children is limited. We reviewed the incidence, aetiology, symptoms, treatment and outcomes of BM in Norwegian children. Methods Data were collected from electronic medical records of children under 15 diagnosed with microbiologically confirmed BM at Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, from 2010 to 2023.

Both methods showed excellent feasibility, measuring LS in all subjects. LSM-mean for GE S8 2D-SWE was higher compared to TE (4.5±0.8 kPa vs. 4.2±1.1, p<0.001) and Samsung RS80A (4.1±0.8 kPa, p<0.001). Both methods showed low intra- and interobserver variation. LSM-mean was significantly higher in males than females using 2D-SWE, while a similar trend for Samsung SWE did not reach significance.

Results In the group pretested with CRP, the antibiotic prescription rate was 26%, compared with 22% in the control group. In the group pretested with CRP, 5% were admitted to hospital, compared with 9% in the control group. These differences were not statistically significant. The main predictors for ordering a CRP test were parents' assessment of seriousness of the illness and the child's temperature. Paediatricians ordered CRP tests less frequently than did other doctors (9% vs 56%, p<0.001).