Background: Meningitis is one of the most dangerous infection affecting children. The need for rapid and accurate diagnosis is mandatory for improving the outcome. Aim of the work: to evaluate the role of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)–C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum procalcitonin (PCT) in diagnosis of meningitis and to detect its accuracy.
Patients and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in University Children hospital, Faculty of Medicine, between November 2019 and September 2020. The study was approved by the Ethics Review Board of Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, and informed written consent was obtained. The committee's reference number is 17200161. Clinicaltrials. gov ID: NCT03387969. 48 Children aged 2 to 18 years with meningitis were included. Detailed history and examination. Blood glucose level at time of admission prior to lumbar puncture, serum CRP level, serum PCT, CSF-CRP level and Multiplex PCR were evaluated.