Acute Community-Acquired Bacterial Meningitis

Abstract

Community-acquired bacterial meningitis remains a disease with high impact. The epidemiology of this disease changed substantiality to large-scale introduction of conjugated vaccines. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the main causative pathogens outside the neonatal age. Clinical presentation of patients with bacterial meningitis varies depending on age and underlying condition. A delay in diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy has been associated with increased risk of adverse clinical outcome. Empirical antibiotic treatment should be based on common bacterial species that cause the disease according to the patient's age group or clinical setting and on local antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the predominant pathogens.

Keywords: Antimicrobial therapy; Community-acquired bacterial meningitis; Conjugate vaccines; Dexamethasone; Epidemiology; Lumbar puncture.