Template:Steroids Bacterial Meningitis

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  • The goal of early glucocorticoids for bacterial meningitis, is to reduce the neurologic morbidity, particularly with Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Early animal research demonstrated a decrease in hearing loss in rabbits[1] and shown in adults in Europe to reduce mortality in patient with Streptococcus pneumoniae Meningitis[2]
  • However meta-analysis demonstrated no mortality difference overall and only in the subgroup with cultures positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae and not those for Haemophilus influenzae or Neisseria meningitidis[3]
  • Dexamethasone has been shown to decrease blood-brain permeability and therefore antibiotic penetration into subarachnoid space specifically with Vancomycin[4] However increasing the serum concentration of Vancomycin may increase the CSF levels and can possibly counteract the effects from dexamethasone
  • The Infectious Disease Society of America recommends the use of dexamethasone in all patients with suspected Strep. Pneumoniae meningitis. [5] and continuation of the dexamethasone as an in-patient can be continued based on the culture and gram stain results of the CSF
    • Suspicion for pneumococcal meningitis can be based on the inclusion criteria from the De Gans Study


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