by Mitchel Keebler
Published 3 years ago
Updated 2 years ago
Why is intravenous dexamethasone administered to treatment meningitis?
Early intravenous administration of glucocorticoids (usually dexamethasone) has been evaluated as adjuvant therapy in an attempt to diminish the rate of hearing loss and other neurologic complications as well as mortality in selected patients with bacterial meningitis.May 19, 2021
When should intravenous therapy for bacterial meningitis be started?
Antibiotic therapy: age 1-3 months
Treatment with dexamethasone (0.4 mg/kg IV every 12 hours for 2 days or 0.15 mg/kg IV every 6 hours for 4 days) should be strongly considered, starting 15 to 20 minutes before the first dose of antibiotics.Nov 16, 2021
What IV antibiotics treat bacterial meningitis?
Commonly used meningitis treatments include a class of antibiotics called cephalosporins, especially Claforan (cefotaxime) and Rocephin (ceftriaxone). Various penicillin-type antibiotics, aminoglycoside drugs such as gentamicin, and others, are also used.Nov 5, 2009
Can you get IV from meningitis?
This infection typically develops in a person whose immune system is compromised, such as with chronic disease. It can also happen in IV drug use or heroin inhalation because the nose tissues are filled with blood vessels, which can be already damaged by snorting.Jul 9, 2015
What is the body's response to bacterial meningitis?
Meningitis is an infection that causes the protective membranes of the nervous system to swell. Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord can affect every part of your body. Fever and other symptoms can come on suddenly and progress very quickly, causing devastating effects.
What is the first line treatment for meningitis?
Acute bacterial meningitis must be treated immediately with intravenous antibiotics and sometimes corticosteroids. This helps to ensure recovery and reduce the risk of complications, such as brain swelling and seizures. The antibiotic or combination of antibiotics depends on the type of bacteria causing the infection.Oct 1, 2020
What are intravenous antibiotics?
Intravenous antibiotics are antibiotics that are administered directly into a vein so that they can enter the bloodstream immediately and bypass the absorption in the gut. It is estimated that more than 250,000 patients in the US receive outpatient IV antibiotics to treat bacterial infections.Mar 17, 2021
What do antibiotics do to meningitis?
Anyone who has bacterial meningitis needs to receive intravenous antibiotics in the hospital. Antibiotics treat many different types of bacterial infections. These medications kill the bacteria or stop them from growing in your body.Feb 4, 2022
What are the main causes of meningitis?
Viral infections are the most common cause of meningitis, followed by bacterial infections and, rarely, fungal and parasitic infections.Oct 1, 2020
Why is meningitis contagious?
Viral meningitis
The enteroviruses that cause meningitis can spread through direct contact with saliva, nasal mucus, or feces. They easily spread through coughing and sneezing. Direct or indirect contact with an infected person increases your risk of getting the same virus.
How common is drug-induced meningitis?
Epidemiology. The occurrence of aseptic meningitis in general is approximately 20 per 100,000, but the most common cause of aseptic meningitis is viral.
What drugs can cause non infectious meningitis?
Drugs that can cause noninfectious meningitis include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and certain antibiotics. Noninfectious meningitis due to NSAIDs may occur in people who have autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus).
What Is Bacterial Meningitis?
Acute bacterial meningitis is the most common form of meningitis. Approximately 80% of all cases are acute bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningit...
Who Gets Bacterial Meningitis?
Children between the ages of 1 month and 2 years are the most susceptible to bacterial meningitis.Adults with certain risk factors are also suscept...
What Causes Bacterial Meningitis?
The bacteria most often responsible for bacterial meningitis are common in the environment and can also be found in your nose and respiratory syste...
What Are The Symptoms of Bacterial Meningitis?
You want to watch for high fever, headaches, and an inability to lower your chin to your chest due to stiffness in the neck.In older children and a...
Causes
Medically reviewed by
Dr. Karthikeya T M
An infection of meninges, protective tissue of the brain that causes stiff neck, headache and fever.
Urgent medical attention is usually recommended by healthcare providers
May be dangerous or life threatening
Very rare (Fewer than 20,000 cases per year in US)
Certain germs that cause bacterial meningitis, such as L. monocytogenes, can spread through food. But most of these germs spread from one person to another. How people spread the germs often depends on the type of bacteria. It is also important to know that people can have these bacteria in or on their bodies without being sick. These people are “carriers.” Most carriers neve…
