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Meningitis: Antibiotics
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Early treatment of bacterial meningitis is important to its outcome. Strong doses of general antibiotics may be prescribed first, followed by intravenous antibiotics in more severe cases. Antibiotics may ... be given to prevent other bacterial infections. Appropriate antibiotic treatment for most types of meningitis can reduce the risk of dying from the disease to below 15 percent.
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Antibiotics are used to treat only bacterial infections, therefore they are ineffective in treating viral meningitis (... overuse of antibiotics leads to drug resistance). People usually recover from viral meningitis in a couple of weeks. Treatment includes analgesics for the pain and fever, rest, and fluids to prevent dehydration. There are 25,000 to 50,000 hospitalizations in the United States from viral meningitis each year (CDC 2005 [viral meningitis]).
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Viral meningitis is the least severe type of meningitis, and patients usually recover with no long-term effects from the infection. Bacterial infections... are much more severe, and progress rapidly. Without very rapid treatment with the appropriate antibiotic, the infection can swiftly lead to coma and death in less than a day's time. While death rates from meningitis vary depending on the specific infecting organism, the overall death rate is just under 20%.
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Acute bacterial meningitis requires prompt treatment with intravenous antibiotics to ensure recovery and reduce the risk of complications. The antibiotic or combination of antibiotics that your doctor may choose depends on the type of bacteria causing the infection. Often, analyzing a sample of cerebrospinal fluid can help identify the bacteria. If you or your child has bacterial meningitis, your doctor may recommend a broad-spectrum antibiotic until he or she can determine the exact cause of the meningitis.
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Viral meningitis is more common than bacterial meningitis. It is rarely life threatening, but it can make people very weak. Viral meningitis can be caused by many different viruses. Some are spread between people by coughing and sneezing, or through poor hygiene or sewage-polluted water. Viral meningitis does not respond to antibiotics, treatment is based on rest and good nursing care.
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Bacterial meningitis [I]s often more severe than aseptic meningitis, particularly in infants and the elderly. Before antibiotics were widely used, 70 percent or more of bacterial meningitis cases were fatal; with antibiotic treatment, the fatality rate has dropped to 15 percent or less. Bacterial meningitis is most common in the winter and spring. Three bacteria cause the majority of cases: Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis or Streptococcus pneumoniae.
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