In early chilhood, due to severe course of complications and long term morbidity, acute bacterial meningitis is one of the most important infection diseases. Causative agents are different according to age, host factors and living areas. Meningeal symptoms and findings vary from non-spesific findings such as fever, poor feeding, head ache, upper airway infection sypmtoms to meningial irritation findings,increased intracranial pressure syndrome and seizures. Early diagnosis and rapid treatment of acute bacterial meningitis is very important for the prognosis of the disease. The gold standart of the diagnosis is showing the agent in cerebrospinal fluid. The treatment protocol includes starting appropriate antibiotics rapidly, minimizing sequelaes due to infection and providing supportive treatment if there is a cardiopulmonary disorder. Vaccination and chemoprophylaxis are two important entities that reduce the development of bacterial meningitis. In Turkey since the addition of Hib and pneumococcal vaccines to national vaccine programme, the incidence of meningococcus meningitis has increased. While the meningococcal vaccine is strongly recommended for risk groups, since its prevalence varies regionally in the world, the choice of vaccine should be made on country basis according to local epidemiological and economic evaluations.

Keywords: child, meningitis, meningococcal vaccine, treatment