Duration of symptoms and outcome in bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, including the pia, arachnoid, and subarachnoid space, that occurs in response to infection with bacteria andor bacterial products. It can be treated with appropriate antibiotics that also prevents spread. Fungal meningitis is rare and usually the result of spread of a fungus through blood to the spinal cord. Treatment for bacterial meningitis usually involves intravenous iv antibiotics. Young children often exhibit only nonspecific symptoms, such as.
Bacterial meningitis is a potentially catastrophic infectious disease associated with substantial mortality and a risk of permanent disability in survivors. Whitley7 1drexel university college of medicine, philadelphia, pennsylvania. Characteristic cerebrospinal fluid csf findings of tbm include. Pharmacists should ensure that local antibiotic guidelines reflect this, along with local resistance patterns, to ensure initial treatment is appropriate. Guidelines for the management of acute meningitis in children and adults in south africa useful and effective. Meningitis is also referred to as spinal meningitis. Although anyone can get fungal meningitis, people with weakened immune systems, like those with hiv infection or cancer, are at higher risk the most common cause of fungal meningitis for people with weakened immune systems is cryptococcus. See treatment of bacterial meningitis caused by specific pathogens in adults.
Bacterial meningitis is very serious because its onset is rapid and the infection is associated with a significant risk of death. Less likely to have permanent brain damage after the infection resolves. Early treatment of bacterial meningitis involves antibiotics that can cross the bloodbrain barrier a lining of cells that keeps harmful microorganisms and chemicals from entering the brain. Vaccines are the most effective way to protect against certain types of bacterial meningitis. The initial treatment approach to the patient with suspected acute bacterial. Purulent meningitis symptoms and treatment of purulent. Previous studies have been too small to determine whether adjunctive treatment with corticoste. Meningitis is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. Treatment of acute bacterial meningitis epidemiology, diagnosis.
Meningitis about bacterial meningitis infection cdc. Because the disease can move quickly, treatment sometimes starts right away, even before the test results come back. The recommendations in this guide are meant to serve as treatment guidelines for use at michigan medicine facilities. Clinicians need a low threshold for suspecting meningitis, to undertake appropriate investigations and provide treatment in a timely manner, to minimise the risk of poor outcome in bacterial disease, while limiting unnecessary treatment in viral meningitis. The category ii regimen is no longer recommended for patients who require tb retreatment and drugsusceptibility testing should be conducted to inform the choice of treatment regimen.
The experts at webmd answer basic questions about the causes, symptoms, treatment and prevention of the disease. Antibiotic, bacterial meningitis, escmid, guideline, neisseria. Pathophysiology and treatment of bacterial meningitis. Viral meningitis, also called aseptic meningitis, is much more common than bacterial meningitis. These guidelines should not replace a providers professional medical advice based on clinical judgment, or be used in lieu of an. Management of bacterial meningitis in infants meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia guideline cg102. Aseptic meningitis often has a similar presentation to that of bacterial meningitis ie, fever, headache, altered mental status, stiff neck, photophobia, which can be a lifethreatening illness. For neonatal meningitis caused by group b streptococci or l monocytogenes, 14 days of treatment are usually satisfactory. It is important to start treatment as soon as possible. The treatment is based on early parenteral administration of antibiotics that. The earlier the treatment is initiated, the better your childs outcome. If you are an individual experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately. I o okike, c osullivan, n ninis, r lynn, c wright, p heath. There are vaccines for 3 types of bacteria that can cause meningitis.
The infectious diseases society of america idsa has issued new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is treated with antibiotics, but theres no specific treatment for viral meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency, and immediate steps. Additional treatment and longterm support may also be required if any complications of meningitis occur, such as hearing loss.
Vaccines can protect you from the most common bacteria that cause meningitis, and from. Adapted from mrfs management of bacterial meningitis in children and young people algorithm. How to treat and prevent meningitis everyday health. Diagnosis and treatment of meningitis varies from country to country, depending on access to medial care, availability of antibiotics and local antibiotic resistance patterns. Summary of current research projects meningitis now. Current treatment guidelines for proven meningococcal meningitis. Initial therapy and prognosis of bacterial meningitis in adults. Even with appropriate treatment, morbidity and mortality can be substantial. Meningitis now fund multiple research projects across the uk, working towards our aim of eradicating meningitis. Click on each of the titles of our current research projects to be taken to a page specific to the project.
Its typically mild and goes away without treatment. The prognosis of patients with cryptococcal meningitis was very. Bacterial meningitis is a severe, lifethreatening infection of the central nervous system that requires immediate medical attention. Unlike other types of meningitis its progresses very slowly and symptoms are vague 14.
Background tuberculous meningitis kills or disables more than half of those affected with the disease. Guidelines for the management of acute meningitis in. Most guidelines recommend dexamethasone plus ceftriaxone in the initial empirical treatment of community. Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency requiring immediate diagnosis and immediate treatment. Tbm is typically a subacute disease with symptoms that may persist for weeks before diagnosis. Streptococcus pneumoniae and neisseria meningitidis are the most common and most aggressive pathogens of meningitis. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Links to society and governmentsponsored guidelines from selected. Treatment is focused on reducing swelling and inflammation around the brain and on maintaining your physical comfort as you recover.
The infectious diseases society of america guidelines recommend adjunctive dexamethasone in patients with suspected or proven community. Military personnel and recruits are generally a highrisk group for meningococcal disease, with a reported incidence of four to. Duration of treatment for bacterial meningitis is dependent on the clinical response and the organism causing disease. Presumptive treatment of bacterial meningitis at the peripheral level in the. Patients with bacterial meningitis are usually treated by primary care and emergency medicine physicians at the time of initial presentation, often in consultation with infectious diseases specialists, neurologists, and neurosurgeons. Appropriate antibiotic treatment for most types of meningitis can greatly reduce the. The objective of these practice guidelines is to provide clinicians with recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis. Practice guidelines for the management of bacterial meningitis. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. The peripheral white blood cell count alone is not help.
Then within days develops acute nasopharyngitis with a high body temperature up to 3940. Pdf diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis researchgate. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. These viruses are found in the throat and feces stool of infected people. Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis.
In general, there are no medications to fight the germs that cause viral meningitis, so treatment is usually aimed at easing the symptoms. Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. Practice guidelines for bacterial meningitis cid 2004. In addition to antibiotics, dexamethasone a steroid may also be given to children over six weeks of age who have acute bacterial meningitis. The treatment will also include antibiotics if your meningitis is caused by a bacterial infection, and antivirals for some specific types of viral infections. Guidelines for the prevention, diagnosis and management of. Pdf diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis. However, in contrast to bacterial meningitis, many patients with aseptic meningitis particularly those who have disease caused by viruses or. Bacterial meningitis is a severe infectious disease of the membranes lining the brain resulting in a high mortality and morbidity throughout the world.
The use of adjuvant steroids is recommended in the treatment of tuberculous meningitis and pericarditis. The type of treatment depends on the germ that caused the meningitis. Meningitis occurs when the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. Youll usually be able to go home from hospital if you or your child has mild meningitis and tests show its being caused by a viral infection.
Google scholarthomas karen e, hasbun rodrigo, jekel james, quagliarello vincent j. Doctors treat bacterial meningitis with a number of antibiotics. Spot the signs and understand the treatment options for meningitis, an infection that has several possible causes. Meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the membrane covering the brain. Treatment for bacterial meningitis is antibiotics, with or without steroids. The incubation period of purulent meningitis is from 2 to 12 days. More common than bacterial form and usually less serious. Patients diagnosed with meningitis syndrome may all exhibit similar symptoms i. Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. Practice guidelines are systematically developed statements to assist practitioners and patients in making decisions about appropriate health care for specific clinical circumstances.
This is normally caused by infection but can also have noninfectious causes. Bacterial meningitis the bacterial form of meningitis can be lifethreatening. Paediatric meningitis treatment of bacterial infection summary paediatric bacterial meningitis can be caused by a variety of different bacteria depending upon the age of the infected child. Review emergency diagnosis and treatment of adult meningitis. All patients with bacterial meningitis and many with viral meningitis will be treated in the hospital. Tuberculous meningitis tbm is the most common form of central nervous system tuberculosis tb and has very high morbidity and mortality. In the past decades the epidemiology and treatment strategies for communityacquired bacterial meningitis have significantly changed. Diagnosis, initial management, and prevention of meningitis. Dexamethasone for the treatment of tuberculous meningitis. Other symptoms include confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate light or loud noises. It is essential for clinicians to recognize the clinical signs and symptoms of meningitis and understand its management and prevention.
Emerging antibiotic resistance is an upcoming challenge. Hence, clinical syndromic surveillance must be complemented by. By contrast, infants with disease caused by gramnegative enteric bacilli require a minimum. A group of viruses called enteroviruses is the most common cause of viral meningitis.
Standardized treatment of bacterial meningitis in africa in epidemic. Tuberculous meningitis tbm is the most severe form of infection caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis, causing death or disability in more than half of those affected. Viral meningitis is a virusborne inflammation of the meninges, which are the. First, the introduction of conjugate vaccines in europe resulted in the virtual disappearance of. This is normally caused by infection but can also have non.
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