title: New aspects of prevention and therapy of meningitis.
abstract: Cefotaxime and ceftriaxone are currently the agents of first choice for empiric treatment of bacterial meningitis in children. Further studies are necessary to determine the optimal antibiotic therapy for meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates relatively or fully resistant to penicillin. The Haemophilus influenzae type b capsular polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines undoubtedly will alter the relative importance of the three common meningeal pathogens in pediatrics and make additional studies of the adjunctive use of dexamethasone in the treatment of bacterial meningitis even more critical.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D008583:Meningitis, Haemophilus / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D003907:Dexamethasone; D012293:Rifampin