Text Box: DETERMINATION OF HAEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE AMONG CHILDREN WITH PURULANT MENINGITIS BY LATEX AGGLUTINATION TEST Yilmaz H, Tokuc G, Vitrinel A, Tutar E Dr.L.Kirdar Kartal Education and Research Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Istanbul, Turkey Objective: Determination of Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib) among children with purulant meningitis by latex agglutination test. Methods: 37 children aged between 3 months-6 years, diagnosed as purulant meningitis was included in this study. After lumbar puncture the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were detected for Hib with latex agglutination test. Results: Haemophilus Influenzae type B (Hib) was diagnosed in 4 of the patients by means of latex agglutination test performed in their CSF, but the organism could be identified in CSF culture in only one of them. As patients positive for Hib with latex agglutination were compared with the negative ones, Hib infection risk was found to be high in children less than 2 years of age, during autumn and winter, but a statistically significant difference was not observed regarding sex, gestational age, birth weight, prior hospitalization, attending day-care facilities, type of feeding, family size educational and socio economic status of the parents and parenteral smoking. Conclusion: Latex agglutination test which is a very rapid and easy test, can detect antigens with a high specificity and sensitivity, and can be considered as o helpful guide in diagnosis. Prior antibiotic use and difficulty in detection of Hib in culture limits the usage of culture in diagnosis. Although our cases are in limited number, detection of 4 Hib case among 37purulant meningitis (11 %) can show us the importance of routine vaccination against Hib. 2006