Supportive therapy for bacterial meningitis

This review will focus on the pathophysiology of the central nervous system alterations associated with bacterial meningitis based on experimental and clinical studies and the supportive measures which have been used or proposed to prevent or reverse these processes. We will state at the outset that there has not been much real progress made in the area of supportive care of patients with bacterial meningitis since the recommendations of Dodge and Swartz were initially established. In addition it is difficult to document the efficacy of these supportive measures in clinical studies.