Medical Therapy
Pharmacotherapy
Newborn, Age <1 Week
|
Preferred Regimen
|
▸ Ampicillin 50 mg/kg IV q8h
|
AND
|
▸ Cefotaxime 100—150 mg/kg/day IV q8—12h
|
Alternative Regimen
|
▸ Ampicillin 50 mg/kg IV q8h
|
AND
|
▸ Gentamicin 2.5 mg/kg IV q12h
|
Newborn, Age 1—4 Weeks
|
Preferred Regimen
|
▸ Ampicillin 200 mg/kg/day IV q6—8h
|
AND
|
▸ Cefotaxime 150—200 mg/kg/day IV q6—8h
|
Alternative Regimen
|
▸ Ampicillin 200 mg/kg/day IV q6—8h
|
AND
|
▸ Gentamicin 2.5 mg/kg IV q8h OR ▸Tobramycin 2.5 mg/kg IV q8h OR ▸ Amikacin 10 mg/kg IV q8h
|
Infant and Children†
|
Preferred Regimen
|
▸ Vancomycin 15 mg/kg IV q6h to achieve serum trough concentrations of 15–20 μg/mL
|
AND
|
▸ Cefotaxime 225—300 mg/kg/day IV q6–8h OR ▸Ceftriaxone 80—100 mg/kg/day IV q12–24h
|
|
|
†Add Ampicillin 2 g IV q4h (50 mg/kg IV q6h for children) if meningitis caused by Listeria monocytogenesis also suspected.
Adapted from Advances in treatment of bacterial meningitis. Lancet. 2012;380(9854):1693-702.[1]
Empiric Treatment
- Do not wait for the results of the CT scan and the lumbar puncture; empiric treatment should be started as soon as possible.
- Blood cultures should be drawn before starting the antibiotic therapy, and then the antibiotic treatment should be changed once the blood culture results are out.
- Empiric antibiotic treatment should be started within 30 minutes after the patient presentation.
- In case of high suspicion of pneumococcal meningitis in adult patients, 0.15 mg/kg IV Q6H dexomethasone should be administered for 2 to 4 days.
- The first dose of dexomethasone is given along with or 20 minutes prior to starting the antibiotics treatment.