How is Meningitis treated?
Doctors can perscribe antibiotics, such as penicillin, to kill the bacteria. Although most patients will recover after using antibiotics, they will feel very sick while taking them. The problem is that the antibiotic cannot destroy the bubbles with the endotoxin. As the antibiotic kills the bacteria, more endotoxins are released. It can take about two days for the poison to be cleared from the body and the patient to recover. The mortality rate for a bacterial meningitis infection is between 50% and 80%. With proper treatment, the mortality rate can be decreased to 8%. There is also a vaccine for meningitis.
