Open AccessPostpartum maternal pneumococcal meningitis complicated by endocarditis
Author(s) -
KAKOGAWA JUN,
ORITO SEIYA,
MASUYA NORIO,
SADATSUKI MIYUKI,
GOMIBUCHI HIDETO,
MINOURA SHIGEKI
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0412.2010.01032.x
Subject(s) - medicine , meningitis , streptococcus pneumoniae , lumbar puncture , endocarditis , pregnancy , antibiotics , postpartum period , blood culture , surgery , vaginal delivery , pediatrics , cerebrospinal fluid , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , biology
Bacterial meningitis is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Few cases of pneumococcal meningitis during pregnancy and the postpartum period have been reported. We describe a case of postpartum pneumococcal meningitis complicated by endocarditis. A 26‐year‐old para‐2 woman who had had a normal vaginal delivery at 38 weeks at a maternity home was transported to our hospital with a 39.5°C fever 11 days postpartum. Eight hours after her arrival, her state of consciousness deteriorated rapidly. Lumbar puncture revealed Gram‐positive cocci consistent with Streptococcus pneumoniae . She was immediately treated with antibiotics and subsequently diagnosed with endocarditis. Final culture results from the blood and cerebrospinal fluid confirmed the presence of S. pneumoniae. She recovered completely with no evidence of neurological damage. Maintaining a high clinical suspicion and initiating appropriate diagnostic testing and therapeutic interventions promptly are essential to reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with bacterial meningitis.