Acute bacterial meningitis in infants and children

Summary Bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates and children throughout the world. The introduction of the protein conjugate vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b, Streptococcus pneumoniae , and Neisseria meningitidis has changed the ep...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Lancet infectious diseases 2010, Vol.10 (1), p.32-42
Main Author: Kim, Kwang Sik, Prof
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use
Bacteria
Bacterial diseases
Bacterial diseases of the nervous system. Bacterial myositis
Biological and medical sciences
Child
Epidemiology
Human bacterial diseases
Humans
Infant
Infants
Infectious Disease
Infectious diseases
Medical sciences
Meningitis, Bacterial - drug therapy
Meningitis, Bacterial - epidemiology
Meningitis, Bacterial - microbiology
Neonates
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Summary:Summary Bacterial meningitis continues to be an important cause of mortality and morbidity in neonates and children throughout the world. The introduction of the protein conjugate vaccines against Haemophilus influenzae type b, Streptococcus pneumoniae , and Neisseria meningitidis has changed the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis. Suspected bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and needs empirical antimicrobial treatment without delay, but recognition of pathogens with increasing resistance to antimicrobial drugs is an important factor in the selection of empirical antimicrobial regimens. At present, strategies to prevent and treat bacterial meningitis are compromised by incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis. Further research on meningitis pathogenesis is thus needed. This Review summarises information on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, new diagnostic methods, empirical antimicrobial regimens, and adjunctive treatment of acute bacterial meningitis in infants and children.
ISSN:1473-3099
1474-4457
DOI:10.1016/S1473-3099(09)70306-8