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Guidelines
Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial Meningitis

Droplet / Contact Precautions

Droplet/Contact precautions until 24 hours of effective antimicrobial therapy. Contact Public Health to report culture-confirmed meningitis immediately

  • Antimicrobial administration should not be delayed when imaging studies are not immediately available or an LP cannot be performed
  • For meningitis caused by H. influenza, give dexamethasone within 30 min of antibiotic administration

Common Pathogens

Duration of Therapy

  • Neisseria meningitidis: 5 days
  • Haemophilus influenza type b: 7-10 days
  • S pneumonia: 10 - 14 days
  • Aerobic gram negative bacilli: 21 days
  • Listeria monocytogenes: >/= 21 days
  • Group B Strept (S. agalactiae): 14-21 days.

More Information

IDSA Guideline for Bacterial Meningitis (2004) Available Here