Introduction:

Central nervous system infections constitute a health problem worldwide due to the high morbidity and mortality that it produces.

Objective:

To clinically describe patients with central nervous system infection.

Methods:

An observational, descriptive and retrospective study was carried out from 2009 to 2018, in patients with central nervous system infection treated at Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital. The variables studied were age, sex, type of infection, immunocompetence status, clinical manifestations, complications, etiological agents, cellularity in the cerebrospinal fluid, state at discharge, hospital stay.

Results:

One hundred thirty three patients were included, 52.6% were male and 45.9% aged between 40-59 years. Patients with bacterial infections prevailed in 58.6%, staphylococcus sp was the most identified etiological agent, meningoencephalitis accounted 36.8%, 56.4% were immunosuppressed, headache and fever were present in 82.7% % and nuchal rigidity in 15%. Respiratory complications and hydrocephalus covered 21% and 12.8% respectively. Status at discharge was associated with immunocompetence status (p = 0.002), hospital stay (p = 0.001) and type of infection (p = 0.002).

Conclusions:

Bacterial infection was the main type of infection according to the cellularity predominance; the number of etiological agents identified was low. Meningoencephalitis was the most frequent infection. Headache, fever and nuchal stiffness were the predominant symptoms and signs, as well as respiratory complications and hydrocephalus. There was an association of the state at discharge with the type of infection, immunocompetence status and hospital stay.

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