title: Meningitis.
abstract: * Young infants who have meningitis may present with nonspecific clinical manifestations. * S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis remain the most common causes of bacterial meningitis in the infant and child, and GBS continues to be the most common neonatal pathogen. * Empiric therapy for suspected bacterial meningitis in a non-neonate includes a combination of parenteral vancomycin and either cefotaxime or ceftriaxone. * Children whose GCS scores are less than 8, show signs of shock or respiratory compromise, and have focal neurologic findings or clinical signs of elevated intracranial pressure should be admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit. * Sensorineural hearing loss occurs in 30% of children who have pneumococcal and 10% of those who have meningococcal meningitis.
authors.affiliation: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Mary Anne
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Jackson
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000209:etiology; D008581:Meningitis / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014640:Vancomycin; D002443:Ceftriaxone; D002439:Cefotaxime