Cerebrospinal fluid filtration in a case of severe pneumococcal meningitis.
Current therapy of bacterial meningitis includes high doses of antibiotics and, sometimes, addition of corticosteroids in order to reduce a harmful inflammatory response. The persisting high mortality and rate of sequelae, particularly regarding pneumococcal meningitis, calls for new therapeutic approaches. We report a case of a 71-year-old female with a pneumococcal meningitis treated with extra-corporeal filtration of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) after 3 days of coma on conventional treatment. The treatment was carried out without complications and the clinical outcome was favourable. We suggest that filtration of the CSF should be considered as a tool to eliminate noxious substances playing a harmful role in deteriorating course of bacterial meningitis.
Brizzi
M
M
Department of Neurology, Malmö University Hospital, Sweden.
Thorén
A
A
Hindfelt
B
B
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D005374:Filtration / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000382:microbiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013346:Subarachnoid Space
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents