Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Nosocomial meningitis

  • Invited Commentary
  • Published:
Current Infectious Disease Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The suspicion of meningitis in a patient hospitalized for another condition remains a vexing clinical problem. The abrupt onset of typical signs and symptoms of acute bacterial meningitis in someone with a previously normal mental status is very unusual, and when it occurs, it does not pose a diagnostic challenge. Concern for the possibility of nosocomial meningitis is much more common in patients who already have altered mental status and then may develop fever, or in whom immunosuppression or concurrent medications may have blunted or suppressed pyrexia.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Jackson WL Jr, Shorr AF: The yield of lumbar puncture to exclude nosocomial meningitis as aetiology for mental status changes in the medical intensive care unit. Anaesth Intensive Care 2006, 34:21–24.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Bouza E, Pintado V, Rivera S, et al.: Nosocomial blood-stream infections caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Clin Microbiol Infect 2005, 11:919–924.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Thomas KE, Hasbun R, Jekel J, Quagliarello VJ: The diagnostic accuracy of Kernig’s sign, Brudzinski’s sign, and nuchal rigidity in adults with suspected meningitis. Clin Infect Dis 2002, 35:46–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. The Research Committee of the British Society for the Study of Infection: Bacterial meningitis: causes for concern. J Infect 1995, 30:89–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Tunkel AR, Hartman BJ, Kaplan SL, et al.: Practice guidelines for the management of bacterial meningitis. Clin Infect Dis 2004, 39:1267–1284.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Rudinsky B, Stankovic I, Kacerova A, et al.: Nosocomial postsurgical meningitis in children: a 12-year survey comparing data from 1993–1998 with data from 1999–2004. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2006, 27:788–790.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Palabiyikoglu I, Tekeli E, Cokca F, et al.: Nosocomial meningitis in a university hospital between 1993 and 2002. J Hosp Infect 2006, 62:94–97.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Guardado R, Asensi V, Torres JM, et al.: Post-surgical enterococcal meningitis: clinical and epidemiological study of 20 cases. Scand J Infect Dis 2006, 38:584–588.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Diringer MN: Subarachnoid hemorrhage: a multiple-organ system disease. Crit Care Med 2003, 31:1884–1885.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Cunha BA: Distinguishing bacterial from viral meningitis: the critical importance of the CSF lactic acid levels. Intensive Care Med 2006, 32:1272–1273.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Leib SL, Boscacci R, Gratzl O, Zimmerli W: Predictive value of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lactate level versus CSF/blood glucose ratio for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis following neurosurgery. Clin Infect Dis 1999, 29:69–74.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Coen M, O’sullivan M, Bubb WA, et al.: Proton nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabonomics for rapid diagnosis of meningitis and ventriculitis. Clin Infect Dis 2005, 41:1582–1590.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Korinek AM, Baugnon T, Golmard JL, et al.: Risk factors for adult nosocomial meningitis after craniotomy: role of antibiotic prophylaxis. Neurosurgery 2006, 59:126–133.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Wong GK, Poon WS, Wai S, et al.: Failure of regular external ventricular drain exchange to reduce cerebrospinal fluid infection: result of a randomised controlled trial. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2002, 73:759–761.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Zabramski JM, Whiting D, Darouiche RO, et al.: Efficacy of antimicrobial-impregnated external ventricular drain catheters: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial. J Neurosurg 2003, 98:725–730.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Bell RS, Vo AH, Cooper PB, et al.: Eosinophilic meningitis after implantation of a rifampin and minocycline-impregnated ventriculostomy catheter in a child. Case report. J Neurosurg 2006, 104(1 Suppl):50–54.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Thomas P. Bleck MD.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bleck, T.P. Nosocomial meningitis. Curr Infect Dis Rep 9, 1–2 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-007-0014-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-007-0014-3

Keywords

Navigation