Clinical predictors for hearing loss in children with bacterial meningitis.

Objectives: To identify clinical risk factors that predict a higher incidence of hearing loss in children with bacterial meningitis, to determine the overall incidence of hearing loss in a large group of children proven by culture findings to have bacterial meningitis, and to compare clinical characteristics among patients with Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis and Neisseria meningitidis meningitis.

Design: Retrospective review

Setting: Tertiary pediatric hospital.

Patients: A total of 171 children identified with bacterial meningitis who met inclusion criteria over a consecutive 10-year period.