Mid-term health-related quality of life in community-acquired bacterial meningitis survivors; the COMBAT study

Abstract

Background Community Acute Bacterial Meningitis (CABM) is a rare infectious disease leading to important impairments. Our aim was to describe CABM survivors’ quality of life (QOL) 12 months post-CABM and to assess its associations with CABM sequelae. Methods Patients included in the CABM COMBAT cohort were evaluated one year after the CABM episode. Data were collected by questionnaire, via phone calls with the patients. The WHOQOL-BREF was used to measure CABM survivors’ QOL. Hierarchical multivariate linear regressions were performed. Results Study population was composed of 284 patients. At 12 months, 53.9% (153/284) reported at least incident headache/worsening headache intensity at 12 months post-CABM, and/or incident hearing impairment, and/or unfavourable disability outcome (GOS). Unfavourable disability outcome was associated with lower physical health QOL (B = -30.35, pConclusions 12 month-CABM burden is heavy. Early detection and management of CABM impairments should be performed in clinical practice as early as possible to optimize patients’ psychological and psychosocial functioning. ClinicalTrial. Gov identification number NCT01730690.