Guidelines
Acute Bacterial Meningitis

Acute Bacterial Meningitis

Key Messages

Initiate droplet precautions for the first 24hrs of effective antibiotic therapy

Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) is a medical emergency

Empiric antibiotic therapy should be started once the diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis is suspected; duration of therapy will depend on etiology

Listeria monocytogenes can cause meningitis in the following populations: >50 years of age, pregnancy, immunocompromised

Investigations

Collect blood culture and start empiric antibiotic therapy

More Information

  1. Tunkel et al. CID 2004:39
  2. McGill F, et al., J Infect 2016
  3. Hasbun R et al. N Engl J Med 2001