Tuberculous meningitis at the Department of Child Health Dr. Pirngadi Hospital Medan (1979)

Sondang Tambunan; Adi Sutjipto; Rahayu Saat; A. J. Noeriman; Helena Siregar; Bistok Saing

Sondang Tambunan Department of Child Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara Medical School/Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital, Medan, North Sumatera
Adi Sutjipto Department of Child Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara Medical School/Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital, Medan, North Sumatera
Rahayu Saat Department of Child Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara Medical School/Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital, Medan, North Sumatera
A. J. Noeriman Department of Child Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara Medical School/Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital, Medan, North Sumatera
Helena Siregar Department of Child Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara Medical School/Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital, Medan, North Sumatera
Bistok Saing Department of Child Health, Universitas Sumatera Utara Medical School/Dr. Pirngadi General Hospital, Medan, North Sumatera

Keywords: tuberculous meningitis; BCG immunization; fever; convulsion; unconciousness

Abstract

A retrospective study on tuberculous meningitis had been carried out on 43 patients at the Department of Child Health, Dr. Pirngadi Hospital Medan during the year 1979. The peak incidence (55.81%) was found in the age group of less than 3 years of which 55.81% was in the second and 44,18% in the third stadium of the disease. Two of the cases were 4 months of age and 1 case was 14 years. None of the cases had got BCG immunization. Mortality rate was 37.21% of which 25% was in the second and 52.63% in the third stadium. Cerebrospinal fluid examination showed that 46.50% had cell counts between 101-500 cells/mm³. The symptoms were prolonged fever (62. 79%), convulsions (72.09%) and unconciousness (27.90%).

Of these cases 83.72% had contact with tuberculous patients; 6.9% had positive tuberculin test and 48,83% showed pulmonary involvement on radiological examination. Nutritional status of these cases showed that 48.83% were undernourished and 34.82% were in poor nutritional status.

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