Epidemiology of Pediatric Meningitis in South Korea From 2010 to 2018: A Population-based Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: Studies evaluating the epidemiology of pediatric meningitis are limited in our region. This study aimed to describe recent trends in the incidence of pediatric meningitis. Methods: We estimated national trends in hospitalization rates for pediatric meningitis (<18 years) by analyzing data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment database between 2010 and 2018. Meningitis cases were identified based on International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes and hospitalization rates were calculated. Results: In this national population-based study, a total of 119,644 hospitalizations and 58 deaths due to pediatric meningitis were identified. The hospitalization rates of pediatric bacterial meningitis have declined by 50.0%, from 3.4 per 100,000 in 2010 to 1.7 per 100,000 in 2018. The mortality rates for bacterial and viral meningitis were 2.0% and 0.002%, respectively. Despite the decreased annual incidence of bacterial meningitis, its mortality rate did not change significantly during the study period. The only risk factor identified for mortality in bacterial meningitis patients among age group, sex, region of residence, and season was age below 1 year (P < 0.001). As children under 1 year have a high-mortality rate (4.2%), patients in this age group require close monitoring. The reasons behind indistinct seasonal patterns of bacterial meningitis warrant further investigation. Conclusions: Childhood bacterial meningitis has shown a significant decline in incidence from 2010 to 2018. In contrast, viral meningitis has not shown a trend over time. Knowledge of these changes may aid clinicians in the decision-making process and management of meningitis patients.

Automated summary

The study found a significant decline in the incidence of childhood bacterial meningitis by 50% from 2010 to 2018, while viral meningitis did not show a trend over time. Patients under 1 year of age have a higher mortality rate and require close monitoring.