prognosis

Last reviewed 01/2018

The prognosis in neonatal meningitis depends upon factors such as:

• florid bacterial presence in the CSF
• delayed sterilization of the CSF
• CSF leukocytes at a concentration greater than 10,000 per millilitre
• the presence of focal neurological loss at diagnosis
• seizures for longer than four days

If these are present, there is an increased risk of neurological abnormality, usually a loss of hearing.

Mortality is between 20 to 50% for meningitis with onset before one week, and 10 to 20% with onset after this.

50% of survivors have some degree of morbidity, which is severe in 30%.