NEONATAL MENINGITIS

Course overview

BACTERIAL MENINGITIS DURING THE NEONATAL PERIOD REMAINS A HIGHLY DEVASTATING CONDITION, WITH A MORBIDITY RATE OF 20 TO 60 PERCENT. THE NATIONWIDE MORTALITY CAN BE AS HIGH AS 40 PERCENT IN TREATED CASES THAT OCCUR DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF LIFE. MULTIPLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF INFANTS TO THIS ILLNESS. THE IMMUNE IMMATURITY OF INFANTS IS THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR, ESPECIALLY PRETERM INFANTS. BECAUSE INFANTS DO NOT RECEIVE THEIR FIRST SET OF IMMUNIZATIONS UNTIL 2 MONTHS OF AGE, THE RISK IS HIGH FOR BACTEREMIA, WHICH POTENTIALLY CAN RESULT IN BACTERIAL MENINGITIS. THIS ACTIVITY ILLUSTRATES THE EVALUATION AND TREATMENT OF NEONATAL MENINGITIS AND REVIEWS THE ROLE OF INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS IN MANAGING THOSE WITH THIS CONDITION.