Objective: Acute bacterial meningitis is an infectious disease that causes morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis and appropriate antibiotic treatment reduce the mortality of the disease. This study aimed to determine the distribution and antimicrobial resistance pattern of community-acquired and healthcare-associated meningitis agents in our center.

Methods: Between January 2017 and July 2022, results of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory of Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital were retrospectively screened and a total of 53 meningitis cases were included in the study. The causative microorganisms and their antimicrobial susceptibilities were evaluated.

Results: Of 1703 CSF cultures included in the study, 156 (9.1%) had positive culture results. Of the positive CSF cultures, 34.1% were considered as significant culture positivity in terms of meningitis. Gram-negative and grampositive bacteria were grown in 43.3% and 56.7% of the positive culture results, respectively. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common agent in community-acquired bacterial meningitis cases (50.0%), while Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common (20.5%) agent in healthcare-associated meningitis cases.

Conclusion: In conclusion, we found that S. pneumonia was a common causative agent of community-acquired meningitis, whereas gram-negative aerobic bacteria were of healthcare-associated meningitis. While ceftriaxone resistance was not detected in S. pneumonia isolates, we showed that carbapenem resistance was not very common in gram-negative aerobes. The results of our study are important for the guidance of empirical treatment of meningitis. It will be an effective way to reduce unnecessary drug costs, antibiotic resistance, and undesirable drug-related effects if each center determines its own agent distribution and susceptibility results and determines empirical treatments accordingly.