Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40275150›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2025

Epidemiological characteristics and disease burden of bacterial meningitis in hospitalized children in China: a 6-year nationwide retrospective study.

Linlin Liu, Xinyu Wang, Lingyun Guo, Tianming Chen, Bing Hu, Binglin Jian, Guoshuang Feng, Yueping Zeng, Gang Liu

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Linlin Liu *Department of Infectious Diseases, National Center for Children's Health, Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Nanlishi Road No. 56, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
Xinyu Wang *Department of Infectious Diseases, National Center for Children's Health, Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Nanlishi Road No. 56, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
Lingyun GuoDepartment of Infectious Diseases, National Center for Children's Health, Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Nanlishi Road No. 56, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
Tianming ChenDepartment of Infectious Diseases, National Center for Children's Health, Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Nanlishi Road No. 56, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
Bing HuDepartment of Infectious Diseases, National Center for Children's Health, Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Nanlishi Road No. 56, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
Binglin JianDepartment of Infectious Diseases, National Center for Children's Health, Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Nanlishi Road No. 56, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.
Guoshuang FengBig Data Center, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Yueping ZengMedical Record Management Office, National Center for Children's Health, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
Gang LiuDepartment of Infectious Diseases, National Center for Children's Health, Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children Ministry of Education, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Nanlishi Road No. 56, Xicheng District, Beijing, China. liugangbch@sina.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8551-741X

Funding

2022 Beijing Major Epidemic Prevention and Control Specially Construction Project 2-1-2-6-15Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals Incubating Program PX2024042Capital's Funds for Health Improvement and Research 2024-1-2092
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bacterial meningitis is a severe infectious disease. Study of bacterial meningitis of children in recent years are limited. It is unclear whether there have been any changes in the epidemiological characteristics of bacterial meningitis during the years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to describe a large, nationwide study of bacterial meningitis in China. We analyzed data of hospitalized patients with bacterial meningitis from 30 hospitals in China from 2016-2021. A total of 16566 episodes of bacterial meningitis were included, of which 13614 episodes (82.18%) occurred in children age under 5-years old. The admission proportion of bacterial meningitis to total hospitalization decreased from 0.24% to 0.16% after COVID -19 pandemic (under COVID -Zero Strategy) (P < .0001). The risk of at least one complication was 26.45% (4382/16566). The three most common complications were hydrocephalus (2351, 14.19%), subdural effusions or empyema (1438, 8.68%), and seizures (794, 4.79%). Ninety-one (0.55%) patients died in hospital. Risks of complications and mortality (0.55%) were related to age under 5 years old (P < .0001). The median length of stay and inpatient expenditures for children with bacterial meningitis were 16 days and 2,697.38 USD.ConclusionsBacterial meningitis mostly occurred in children aged < 5 y. The percentage of 30 tertiary hospitalized children with bacterial meningitis apparently decreased after the COVID-19 pandemic. Ninety-one (0.55%) patients died in the hospital.

Indexed as

COVID-19Meningitis, BacterialAdolescentChildChild, HospitalizedChild, PreschoolChinaCost of IllnessFemaleHospitalizationHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleRetrospective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Bacterial meningitisChildrenEpidemiologyHospitalization

Identifiers

PMID40275150
PMCPMC12020171

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.