title: Diagnosis and management of adult bacterial meningitis.
abstract: The early use of appropriate antibiotic therapy is one of the important and explicit steps in the management of potentially fatal adult acute bacterial meningitis (ABM). Changing epidemiology of ABM, especially with regards to the change of the relative frequency of causative pathogens, has been noted in a serial of studies in Taiwan. This change may influence the choice of initial empiric antibiotic treatment. In this review, the authors will discuss the epidemiologic trend, diagnosis and management of ABM in Taiwan. For a better understanding, the clinical and laboratory data of 204 adult ABM cases diagnosed at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung, collected over a period of 8 years (1999-2006), were included for analysis. This review may help first-line, primary-care neurologists have a better view on handling this critical central nervous system infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. cwenneng@ms19.hinet.net
authors.forename: Wen-Neng
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chen-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D016920:Meningitis, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents