Treatment of influenzal meningitis with sulfadiazine

Summary Twenty-three children with influenzal meningitis have been treated at the Charity Hospital in the past two years with sulfadiazine. Sixteen patients have been discharged as cured and have remained well except one patient who developed and still has a residual generalized spasticity. Six fatalities occurred, all in young infants below 8 months of age. In this group only one recovery occurred in an infant 4 months old. In our series no fatalities occurred above the age of 8 months. Since sulfadiazine alone does not seem sufficient in these young infants, it is imperative that type-specific rabbit antiserum be given together with large doses of sulfadiazine. In older infants and children the recovery rate is very high with sulfadiazine alone. Very few spinal punctures and drainages were performed. Leucopenia in one patient, hematuria in one patient, and drug fever in one patient were the only toxic conditions encountered that can be attributed to the drug.