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Meningitis: New treatment protocol for hospital doctors
11 February 2003
Meningitis Research Foundation in collaboration with The British Infection Society has just produced a new resource for hospital doctors to help in the fight against meningitis and septicaemia.
This new resource- Early Management of Suspected Bacterial Meningitis and Meningococcal Septicaemia in Adults - is in poster and leaflet format, and has been widely distributed to doctors in Emergency Medicine, General Medicine, Infectious Diseases, Critical Care and Anaesthetics.
The British Infection Society and the Meningitis Research Foundation have been concerned for some time about the problem of meningitis and septicaemia in adults. In the last decade, cases of bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia in adults have risen. Over this period, the decline in case fatality that has been seen in children has not been evident in adults.
Meanwhile, research, consultation and expert review have defined potential improvements in the way patients with suspected meningitis or septicaemia are identified and managed*. The Charity has therefore produced an algorithm for hospital doctors treating adults with bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia. Developed by the British Infection Society, in collaboration with Meningitis Research Foundation, this management algorithm focuses specifically on minimising delays in diagnosis and administration of antibiotics, appropriate use of monitoring, investigations, critical care facilities and management of the complications of the disease, primarily shock and raised intracranial pressure.
Said Mike McKendrick, President of the British Infection Society: "Most adults with bacterial meningitis or meningococcal septicaemia present to clinicians with little experience of these conditions. Early recognition, stabilisation and institution of specific therapeutic measures are crucial to patient outcome. We hope this algorithm will be of practical value in the A&E department, critical care unit and other acute clinical areas".
Denise Vaughan, Meningitis Research Foundation's Chief Executive commented: "We are delighted to have worked with the British Infection Society to produce this protocol for the treatment of bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia in adults. We hope this new resource will help hospital doctors treating patients with meningitis and septicaemia and ultimately save lives."