Principles in the treatment of bacterial meningitis

Täuber, MG; Sande, MA (1984). Principles in the treatment of bacterial meningitis. American journal of medicine, 76(5A), pp. 224-30. Orlando, Fla.: Elsevier 10.1016/0002-9343(84)90268-7

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The pathophysiologic aspects of bacterial meningitis impose some specific requirements on successful antimicrobial therapy of this disease. Because infections of the subarachnoid space rapidly produce destruction of the brain tissue, treatment must be instituted as early as possible. In the subarachnoid space, efficient host defense mechanisms are absent, particularly at the start of the infection, and therefore antibiotics have to produce a bactericidal effect to eliminate the microorganisms. As animal studies indicate, only drug concentrations 20- to 100-fold higher than the minimal bactericidal concentration are effective in vivo. Because penetration of antibiotics to the site of infection is limited by the blood-brain barrier, the high cerebrospinal fluid concentrations necessary to kill the bacteria may be difficult to achieve and therapy may be limited by toxicity. Even with optimal antibiotic therapy, the morbidity and mortality remain high, and new therapeutic interventions are necessary and should be aimed at modifying selective components of the inflammatory process.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Further Contribution)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Service Sector > Institute for Infectious Diseases
UniBE Contributor:	Täuber, Martin G.
ISSN:	0002-9343
ISBN:	6372474
Publisher:	Elsevier
Language:	English
Submitter:	Factscience Import
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 15:00
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:18
Publisher DOI:	10.1016/0002-9343(84)90268-7
PubMed ID:	6372474
Web of Science ID:	A1984SS76800031
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/25836 (FactScience: 61049)