Dexamethasone treatment for bacterial meningitis

In the pre-antibiotic era more than 9096 of children with bacterial meningitis died from their disease. The introduction of antibiotics and intensive care reduced mortality to approximately 5%, but significant morbidity remained. A prospective study of 50 children who recovered from Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis reported that 28% had significant physical or intellectual disabilities 3 years after their illness.¹ The failure of new and more powerful antibiotics to improve the outcome of meningitis meant that other treatment modalities needed to be evaluated.