BACTERIAL-MENINGITIS - CAUSES FOR CONCERN

The case notes of 305 patients admitted to hospitals in the U.K. with a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis were studied retrospectively and s everal items of concern emerged. These included: no antibiotics given to patients (82.6%) pre-admission and blood cultures and throat swabs were not obtained routinely. From the figures presented lumbar punctur e appeared to be justified in patients without contraindications. Abou t half the patients with a rash would have remained undiagnosed withou t a lumbar puncture even if allowance was made for those who did not h ave a blood culture.