Bacterial meningitis early management

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-In-Chief: Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [2]

EFNS guideline on the management of community-acquired bacterial meningitis: report of an EFNS Task Force on acute bacterial meningitis in older children and adults. (DO NOT EDIT)

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Early Management of Acute Bacterial Meningitis (ABM) The Task Force recommends that all patients with suspected ABM should be hospitalized as soon as possible [IIIA]. Care of patients with suspected ABM should be considered as an emergency and fast-tracked for rapid assessment and treatment. The following timeline for management of ABM is proposed: admission to hospital within first 90 minutes (min) of making contact with health service; and assessment and treatment commenced within 60 min of hospital admission, and no longer than 3 hours (h) after contact with health service [IVC]. Pre-hospital antibiotic treatment should only be initiated for patients with strong suspicion of disseminated meningococcal infection (meningococcemia) because of the unpredictable risk of early circulatory collapse from adrenocortical necrosis (Waterhouse–Friderichsen syndrome). For other patients, rapid preadmission antibiotic therapy should be considered only if a delay in excess of 90 min in hospital transfer is anticipated [IIIC]. Lumbar puncture (LP) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis is the specific investigation required for diagnosis and management of ABM. Therefore, if diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is suspected and there are no clinical contraindications, LP should be performed as soon as safely possible [IIIC]. In patients with symptoms and signs suggestive of raised intracranial pressure or with high risk of cerebral herniations following LP (imaging evidence of intracranial mass lesion, obstructive hydrocephalus or midline shift), diagnostic LP should be postponed [IA]. In a patient with suspected ABM in whom LP is being delayed or postponed, antibiotic therapy should be commenced immediately after collecting blood sample for culture. Intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) Benzyl Penicillin, or IV Cefotaxime or Ceftriaxone should be administered as empirical therapy for ABM and may be commenced immediately [IIIA]. In patients with known history of severe beta-lactam allergy, vancomycin should be administered as the alternative for pneumococcal meningitis and chloramphenicol for meningococcal meningitis [IVC]. In regions with known or suspected penicillin-resistant strains of pneumococcus, high dose vancomycin should be used in combination with a third-generation cephalosporin [IVC]. Patients with risk factors for Listerial meningitis (old age, immunosuppressed and/or signs of rhombencephalitis) should receive IV amoxicillin in addition to a third-generation cephalosporin as the empirical treatment of ABM initially [IVC]. Dexamethasone in high doses may be appropriate as an adjunctive therapy and should be given shortly before or with the first dose of antibiotics. All ABM patients should be managed as medical emergencies and when available, treated in neurological intensive care units. Specific Antibiotic Treatment Initial antibiotic treatment of ABM should be parenteral [IA].

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