Akute bakterielle meningitis

Abstract

Acute bacterial meningitis requires fast diagnosis and treatment. Clinical symptoms include headache, fever, nuchal rigidity and an altered mental status. Immediate antibiotic therapy is necessary to prevent fatal and unfavorable outcome. Antibiotic treatment in community-acquired meningitis should be initiated with a combination of ampicillin plus ceftriaxone or ampicillin plus cefotaxime. After identification of the causative organism, a specific antibiotic therapy should be performed according to the antibiogram. Adjunctive treatment with dexamethasone has been shown to reduce mortality and to improve outcome in community-acquired bacterial meningitis.