The infection that causes bacterial meningitis is treated with a combination of antibiotics. The antibiotics you receive will depend on the bacteria that are suspected, your age, and other factors. The antibiotics are injected into a vein. You might have to receive the antibiotics for as long as 3 weeks.
For the first few days of antibiotic treatment, you may also be given dexamethasone* (a corticosteroid) to help reduce the risk of meningitis complications. People with meningitis, regardless of the cause, may need supportive treatment such as intravenous fluids and fever-reducing medications.
Children are routinely immunized with the Hemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine. This is an important preventive measure, since the Hib bacteria used to be the most common cause of meningitis in children. For infants, the Hib vaccine is recommended at 2, 4, 6, and 18 months.
Other recommended vaccines such as those against meningococcal group C bacteria and pneumococcal bacteria promise to greatly reduce the risk for meningitis caused by these organisms. Health Canada recommends that children be immunized with the meningococcal vaccine routinely at 12 months, although some provinces may start immunization earlier. . Another dose is given around 12 years of age. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is also being recommended for infants at 2, 4, and 12 months, or at 2, 4, 6, and 12 to 15 months of age.
For adults over 65, a different pneumococcal vaccine is available to reduce the risk of getting meningitis from the pneumococcal bacteria. It's also recommended for people without a spleen or those whose immune systems are not working properly.
If you've been in close contact with someone who has meningitis caused by a Meningococcus or H. influenzae infection, your doctor likely will prescribe antibiotics for you as a precautionary measure.
Carcinomatous meningitis is usually treated with chemotherapy which is administered in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) by lumbar puncture or via an Ommaya reservoir.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2022. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/condition/getcondition/Meningitis