WHO guidelines meningitis treatment?

A range of antibiotics can treat the infection, including penicillin, ampicillin and ceftriaxone. Under epidemic conditions in Africa in areas with limited health infrastructure and resources, ceftriaxone is the drug of choice. Licensed vaccines against meningococcal disease have been available for more than 40 years.

What is the protocol for meningitis?

Acute bacterial meningitis must be treated immediately with intravenous antibiotics and sometimes corticosteroids. This helps to ensure recovery and reduce the risk of complications, such as brain swelling and seizures. The antibiotic or combination of antibiotics depends on the type of bacteria causing the infection.

What is the drug of choice for bacterial meningitis?

Since then, penicillin has remained the drug of choice for the treatment of meningococcal meningitis. However, current IDSA guidelines list ceftriaxone or cefotaxime as the drugs of choice. The image below shows indications of increased intracranial pressure, an early complication of bacterial meningitis.

How quickly does meningitis need to be treated?

In most cases, there is no specific treatment for viral meningitis. Most people who get mild viral meningitis usually recover completely in 7 to 10 days without treatment. Antiviral medicine may help people with meningitis caused by viruses such as herpesvirus and influenza.

How do you monitor meningitis?

These tests may include:

1. a physical examination to look for symptoms of meningitis.
2. a blood test to check for bacteria or viruses.
3. a lumbar puncture – where a sample of fluid is taken from the spine and checked for bacteria or viruses.
4. a CT scan to check for any problems with the brain, such as swelling.

Why is dexamethasone given before antibiotics in meningitis?

Dexamethasone reduces morbidity and mortality in bacterial meningitis by blunting the inflammatory response secondary to bacterial lysis, which frequently causes detrimental physiologic effects. Dexamethasone should be given prior (20 minutes before) or concurrently with antibiotics.

What type of meningitis is worse?

Viral meningitis is the more common and less serious form — it usually clears up on its own in seven to 10 days. Bacterial meningitis is much more dangerous and can be fatal if not treated quickly with antibiotics.

Can you fully recover from bacterial meningitis?

Bacterial meningitis often requires hospitalization and treatment with antibiotics for one to two weeks. Although this infection is very serious, many patients can make a full recovery if it’s treated right away.

What is the initial treatment approach to suspected acute bacterial meningitis?

The initial treatment approach to the patient with suspected acute bacterial meningitis depends on early recognition of the meningitis syndrome, rapid diagnostic evaluation, and emergent antimicrobial and adjunctive therapy [ 1 ]. Our management algorithm for infants and children is shown in figure 1, and that for adults is shown in figure 2.

What is the prevalence of meningococcal infection in Canada?

In Canada, infection often happens during the winter and spring months. There is an average of almost 200 cases per year in Canada. Symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease happen between two to 10 days after exposure, most typically between 3-4 days.

Which specialist consultations are beneficial to patients with meningitis?

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.

When is parenteral administration indicated in the treatment of bacterial meningitis?

These results led the British Infection Society Working Party to recommend parenteral administration of appropriate antimicrobial therapy without delay to all adult patients in whom the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is suspected while arranging urgent transfer to the hospital [ 41 ].