Are there any cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings that exclude bacterial meningitis?
A number of CSF findings make bacterial meningitis quite likely, including total leukocyte counts of more than 2,000/mm3, a positive gram stain, or very low CSF glucose. It is difficult, if not impossible, however, to exclude bacterial meningitis in patients with any degree of CSF pleocytosis. For example, 10% of patients with bacterial meningitis have less than 100 WBCs/mm3 in CSF, and 10% have lymphocyte predominance at presentation. Therefore, the safest course of action when bacterial meningitis is suspected on clinical grounds and CSF pleocytosis is present is to continue antibiotics until results of CSF cultures are available. 3. Which patients with suspected or proven meningitis should receive steroids? Steroids reduce neurologic damage from the inflammatory surge provoked by antibiotic-induced pneumococcal lysis. In a large European trial, dexamethasone given in 10-mg doses every six hours for four days (before or with the first dose of antibiotics) reduced mortality in pneumoc
