Voelk, Stefanie, Pfirrmann, Markus, Koedel, Uwe, Pfister, Hans-Walter, Lang, Thomas, Scheibe, Franziska, Salih, Farid ORCID: 0000-0003-1114-3181, Herzig-Nichtweiss, Julia ORCID: 0000-0002-5365-8231, Zimmermann, Julian ORCID: 0000-0003-1964-0078, Alonso, Angelika, Wittstock, Matthias, Totzeck, Andreas, Schramm, Patrick, Schirotzek, Ingo, Onur, Oezguer A., Pelz, Johann Otto, Ottomeyer, Caroline, Luger, Sebastian, Barlinn, Kristian, Binder, Tobias, Woebker, Gabriele ORCID: 0000-0003-4429-754X, Reimann, Gernot, Urbanek, Christian, Heckelmann, Jan, Lochner, Piergiorgio ORCID: 0000-0002-2101-6066, Berghoff, Martin, Schoenenberger, Silvia, Neumann, Bernhard, Niesen, Wolf-Dirk, Dohmen, Christian, Huttner, Hagen B., Guenther, Albrecht and Klein, Matthias (2022). Decline in the number of patients with meningitis in German hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. J. Neurol., 269 (7). S. 3389 - 3400. HEIDELBERG: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG. ISSN 1432-1459

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Abstract

Background and objectives In 2020, a wide range of hygiene measures was implemented to mitigate infections caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In consequence, pulmonary infections due to other respiratory pathogens also decreased. Here, we evaluated the number of bacterial and viral meningitis and encephalitis cases during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods In a multicentre retrospective analysis of data from January 2016 until December 2020, numbers of patients diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and other types of CNS infections (such as viral meningitis and encephalitis) at 26 German hospitals were studied. Furthermore, the number of common meningitis-preceding ear-nose-throat infections (sinusitis, mastoiditis and otitis media) was evaluated. Results Compared to the previous years, the total number of patients diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis was reduced (n = 64 patients/year in 2020 vs. n = 87 to 120 patients/year between 2016 and 2019, all p < 0.05). Additionally, the total number of patients diagnosed with otolaryngological infections was significantly lower (n = 1181 patients/year in 2020 vs. n = 1525 to 1754 patients/year between 2016 and 2019, all p < 0.001). We also observed a decline in viral meningitis and especially enterovirus meningitis (n = 25 patients/year in 2020 vs. n = 97 to 181 patients/year between 2016 and 2019, all p < 0.001). Discussion This multicentre retrospective analysis demonstrates a decline in the number of patients treated for viral and pneumococcal meningitis as well as otolaryngological infections in 2020 compared to previous years. Since the latter often precedes pneumococcal meningitis, this may point to the significance of the direct spread of pneumococci from an otolaryngological focus such as mastoiditis to the brain as one important pathophysiological route in the development of pneumococcal meningitis.

Item Type: Journal Article
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCIDORCID Put Code
Voelk, StefanieUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Pfirrmann, MarkusUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Koedel, UweUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Pfister, Hans-WalterUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Lang, ThomasUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Scheibe, FranziskaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Salih, FaridUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0003-1114-3181UNSPECIFIED
Herzig-Nichtweiss, JuliaUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0002-5365-8231UNSPECIFIED
Zimmermann, JulianUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0003-1964-0078UNSPECIFIED
Alonso, AngelikaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Wittstock, MatthiasUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Totzeck, AndreasUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Schramm, PatrickUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Schirotzek, IngoUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Onur, Oezguer A.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Pelz, Johann OttoUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Ottomeyer, CarolineUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Luger, SebastianUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Barlinn, KristianUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Binder, TobiasUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Woebker, GabrieleUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0003-4429-754XUNSPECIFIED
Reimann, GernotUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Urbanek, ChristianUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Heckelmann, JanUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Lochner, PiergiorgioUNSPECIFIEDorcid.org/0000-0002-2101-6066UNSPECIFIED
Berghoff, MartinUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Schoenenberger, SilviaUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Neumann, BernhardUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Niesen, Wolf-DirkUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Dohmen, ChristianUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Huttner, Hagen B.UNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Guenther, AlbrechtUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
Klein, MatthiasUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIEDUNSPECIFIED
URN: urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-697561
DOI: 10.1007/s00415-022-11034-w
Journal or Publication Title: J. Neurol.
Volume: 269
Number: 7
Page Range: S. 3389 - 3400
Date: 2022
Publisher: SPRINGER HEIDELBERG
Place of Publication: HEIDELBERG
ISSN: 1432-1459
Language: English
Faculty: Unspecified
Divisions: Unspecified
Subjects: no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:
KeywordsLanguage
INVASIVE PNEUMOCOCCAL DISEASE; IMPACT; RISKMultiple languages
Clinical NeurologyMultiple languages
URI: http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/69756

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