Corticosteroid dosage for acute bacterial meningitis in children

Acute bacterial meningitis in infants and children.

Bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates and children throughout the world. The introduction of the protein conjugate vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitidis has changed the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis. Suspected bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and needs empiri...

Bacterial meningitis in children.

Microbiologic causes of meningitis include bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Before routine use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, bacterial meningitis affected almost 6000 people every year in the United States, and about half of all cases occurred in children 18 years old or younger. Prompt and accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment of bacterial meningitis in children remains a majo...

Bacterial meningitis in children

Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis.

Death and long-term disabilities are common outcomes of acute bacterial meningitis, especially in developing countries, even when highly effective antibiotic therapy is given. Therefore, improvement in the outcomes of acute bacterial meningitis is unlikely to come from developments in chemotherapy but rather from measures that alleviate the damage done before the causative bacteria are killed. ...

Acute bacterial meningitis.

Despite advances in medical care including antibiotics and vaccines, meningitis still has a high morbidity and mortality rate, especially in certain high-risk patients. Early diagnosis with the administration of appropriate antibiotics remains the key element of management. This article highlights methods of diagnosis, differential diagnoses, treatment options, and complications of treating bac...