What Antibiotic to Use for Meningitis

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Typically, meningitis is caused by microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also says meningitis can develop from non-infectious causes, including diseases like AIDS, cancer and diabetes, an injury or drugs that suppress the immune system. Diagnosing the cause of meningitis is critical because it will determine the course of treatment. Antibiotics are used to effectively treat bacterial meningitis.

Symptoms of bacterial meningitis

• Symptoms of bacterial meningitis, which can develop over the course of 48 hours, include, stiff neck, high fever, sleepiness, confusion, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light or photophobia and severe headache. In infants, symptoms may include irritability, vomiting, listlessness and unwillingness to feed. Patients of any age may also have seizures.

Diagnosing bacterial meningitis

• Bacterial meningitis can be very serious and may result in adverse side effects, such as brain damage, hearing loss, amputation or learning disabilities. If bacterial meningitis is suspected, a spinal tap, in which a needle collects fluid from the spinal canal, is used to confirm the diagnosis and identify of the type of bacteria responsible. It is essential to determine the type of bacteria that is causing the meningitis to prescribe the correct antibiotics for treatment.

Causes of bacterial meningitis

• Before the 1990s, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, according to the CDC. Since then, children are given the Hib vaccine as a routine immunization, sharply reducing Hib cases. The CDC says Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are now the leading causes of bacterial meningitis. Streptococcus pneumoniae causes Pneumococcal meningitis (also called pneumococcus). Meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis is also known as meningococcal disease.

  Causes of bacterial meningitis, however, also vary by age group. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitides can be found in infants, children and adults. Causes of bacterial meningitis specific to newborns are Group B Streptococci, Escherichia coli and Listeria monocytogenes. Haemophilus influenzae (Hib) can be found in infants. Mycobacteria is also specific to adults.

Treatment of bacterial meningitis

• If bacterial meningitis is suspected, initial treatment with the antibiotics ceftriaxone and vancomycin is recommended, according to the CDC. Ceftriaxone is one of the most commonly used antibiotics. If Ceftriaxone is not effective, the antibiotics vancomycin or rifampin are also used. The U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health also note that systemic corticosteroids may also be prescribed to treat bacterial meningitis, particularly pediatric cases.

Success Rate

• Before antibiotics were widely used, 70 percent of bacterial meningitis cases were fatal, according to the CDC. The agency reports that antibiotics have reduced the fatality rate of bacterial meningitis to 15 percent.