Infectious Disease · Pediatrics · 4 h ago
Long-term sequelae reported in 70% of pediatric meningococcal disease survivors
A retrospective cohort with cross-sectional assessment compared 40 children who survived invasive meningococcal disease in Santiago, Chile, with 42 matched children without the disease. Sequelae were identified in 70% of survivors, most commonly neurologic, dermatologic and hearing-related findings.
- Sequelae were found in 70% of 40 IMD survivors.
- Neurologic findings were the most common sequelae.
- Matched controls had a 16.7% prevalence of findings.
- Quality of life was lower among children with sequelae.
Researchers assessed children diagnosed with invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) at two Santiago hospitals between 2009 and 2019. In 2022–2023, 40 survivors and 42 age- and sex-matched children without IMD or central nervous system infection underwent standardized physical, neurocognitive, audiologic and functional assessments. The retrospective cohort study evaluated outcomes cross-sectionally.
Sequelae were found in 70% of IMD survivors, compared with 16.7% of controls (prevalence ratio 4.20; 95% CI 2.07–8.51). The association persisted after adjustment for age, sex, caregiver education and socioeconomic status (adjusted prevalence ratio 3.75; 95% CI 1.83–7.69). Neurologic findings were reported in 55% of survivors, dermatologic sequelae in 25%, and hearing sequelae in 20.5%. Children with sequelae had lower quality of life than those without them (62% versus 8%; P=0.004).
The findings indicate a substantial burden among survivors in this Chilean sample and support attention to long-term outcomes. The study was small and involved two hospitals; its cross-sectional assessments cannot establish how sequelae developed over time or how broadly the estimates apply. The authors emphasize sustained multidisciplinary follow-up and prevention, including vaccination.
In practice
For clinicians caring for children who have survived invasive meningococcal disease, this study documents frequent physical, neurologic, hearing and other sequelae on later assessment, alongside lower quality of life among affected children. The results support attention to longer-term multidisciplinary assessment and follow-up, but do not establish an optimal follow-up schedule or prove that a particular intervention improves outcomes. Estimates come from 40 survivors at two hospitals in Santiago and may not apply to other settings.
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The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal: Long-term Sequelae in Children With Invasive Meningococcal Disease, Chile 2009–2023 ↗This is an automated AI-condensed summary that has not yet been reviewed by an editor. Always consult the full item at the original source.