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1
This retrospective study analyzed 147 children with VP shunt-related meningitis treated at a South African hospital from 2018 through 2024.
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2
Mean admission CRP was 41.4 mg/L, and 48% of children had an elevated level above 10 mg/L.
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3
Mean CRP declined from 48.6 mg/L at admission to 29.4 mg/L on day 30, but skewness, outliers, and missing data warrant cautious interpretation.
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4
Twenty-five children (17%) died; symptom duration of 7 to 30 days predicted mortality, and age older than 12 years was associated with increased mortality risk.
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5
Antibiotic resistance was present in 58.6% of cultured organisms, and CRP changes could not be attributed to antibiotics alone because treatment and follow-up varied.
