Treatment for Meningitis
Bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia are medical emergencies and need immediate treatment with antibiotics, together with rapid admission to hospital. Some people will be cared for on a general ward, with close observation. Others may need to be cared for in an intensive care unit where their condition can be more closely monitored. The length of time spent in hospital varies depending on the severity of the disease.
If treated promptly, meningitis and septicaemia are
less likely to become life-threatening. Whilst in hospital other treatment,
procedures and investigations will be carried out depending on the patient’s
condition.
One of the main investigations carried out in order to test if someone
has meningitis is a lumbar puncture. This allows the doctor to quickly
make a diagnosis of meningitis by analysing the CSF that bathes the
meninges (the layers that surround the brain). This fluid becomes infected
when a patient has meningitis. Sometimes treatment with antibiotics
is started because the patient’s condition is too serious for a lumbar
puncture to be performed. In these cases the lumbar puncture can be
done when the patient’s condition has improved.
If someone is seriously ill, they will require specialist care and treatment
in an intensive care unit. Here the doctors and nurses can closely monitor
their condition, respond to emergencies and provide immediate support
when it is needed.
Appropriate hospital care and treatment are essential if the patient
is to make a good recovery.
You'll find more information on meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia by downloading the following PDF document produced by the Meningitis Trust:
Click
here or on the PDF symbol
to download the fact-sheet
Viral meningitis is rarely life-threatening, but can still make people
very unwell. Most people with viral meningitis recover without needing
hospital treatment.
Those who do need admission to hospital are treated with pain relief and rest. As with bacterial meningitis, the length of time spent in hospital will vary.