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Meningitis and Encephalitis
A guide for patients and carers
Treatment of meningitis
1. VIRAL MENINGITIS
General care
People with meningitis need careful attention and quiet, darkened, calm surroundings.
• Headaches can be treated with painkillers
• Tepid sponging, electric fans and suitable drugs can be used to reduce high temperature
• Nausea and vomiting can be treated with anti-nausea drugs and by replacing fluids by mouth or vein (drip).
Antibiotics are of no use in viral meningitis because they only work against infections caused by bacteria. Most people with viral meningitis recover within one week.
2. BACTERIAL MENINGITIS
As in viral meningitis.
Treatment and medication (drugs)
Antibiotics
• Intravenous antibiotics are started as soon as bacterial meningitis is suspected.
• Several antibiotics may have to be given at once to ensure that the bacteria are effectively treated.
• Once the bacteria have been identified, some antibiotics may be stopped.
• Antibiotics will usually be continued for seven to 10 days.
Anticonvulsants
As in viral encephalitis.
Brain swelling
• As in viral encephalitis.
• Surgery may be necessary to relieve the hydrocephalus or to drain an abscess.
• It is common to give steroids to children with bacterial meningitis, but they are usually only needed for a short period. They reduce inflammation and raised pressure in the head and reduce the likelihood of long-term hearing loss in haemophilus meningitis.
Prevention of bacterial meningitis
The only vaccine in general use to prevent meningitis is Haemophilus Influenza Type b (HIB) vaccine. Now that all children in the UK are being immunised, the number of cases of haemophilus meningitis has been substantially reduced.
Immunisation against pneumococcal meningitis is sometimes given to people with weakened immune systems and people who have had their spleen removed.
3. FUNGAL MENINGITIS
General care
As in viral meningitis.
Treatment and medication (drugs)
Anti-fungal agents
Intravenous anti-fungal treatment is given as soon as fungal meningitis is suspected.
Anticonvulsants
As in viral encephalitis.
Brain swelling
As in viral encephalitis. Surgery is sometimes needed to relieve the hydrocephalus or to drain an abscess.
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Contents
- Introduction
- What is meningitis?
- What is encephalitis?
- What are the symptoms?
- Tests used to diagnose meningitis and encaphilitis
- Other problems that can be confused with meningitis and encaphilitis
- Treatment of meningitis
- Treatment of encaphalitis
- How well do people respond to treatment?
- Other help available to patients and carers
- Getting back to normal
- Things to be avoided
- Some do's and don'ts
- Summary
- Other Organisations that may be able to help
