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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Inducing Meningococcal Meningitis Serogroup C in Mice via Intracisternal Delivery

Inducing Meningococcal Meningitis Serogroup C in Mice via Intracisternal Delivery

Published on: November 5, 2019

Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis.

Matthijs C Brouwer¹, Peter McIntyre, Jan de Gans

¹Department of Neurology, Center for Infection and Immunity Amsterdam (CINIMA), Academic Medical Center University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 22700, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1100 DE.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

|September 9, 2010

Summary

Corticosteroids for bacterial meningitis did not reduce overall mortality but significantly decreased hearing loss and neurological sequelae. Benefits were observed in high-income countries, particularly for severe hearing loss in Haemophilus influenzae meningitis.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 9, 2026

Inducing Meningococcal Meningitis Serogroup C in Mice via Intracisternal Delivery

Inducing Meningococcal Meningitis Serogroup C in Mice via Intracisternal Delivery

Published on: November 5, 2019

Area of Science:

Neurology
Infectious Diseases
Pharmacology

Background:

Bacterial meningitis outcomes correlate with subarachnoid space inflammation.
Corticosteroids are known to mitigate inflammatory responses.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant corticosteroid therapy versus placebo in treating acute bacterial meningitis.
Assess impact on mortality, hearing loss, and neurological sequelae across all age groups.

Main Methods:

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
Searched major databases including Cochrane, MEDLINE, and EMBASE.
Subgroup analyses conducted for age, causative organisms, country income, and study quality.

Main Results:

No significant difference in overall mortality between corticosteroid and placebo groups (18.0% vs 20.0%).
Corticosteroids associated with reduced severe hearing loss (RR 0.67) and neurological sequelae (RR 0.83).
Benefits, including reduced hearing loss, were more pronounced in high-income countries and for specific pathogens like Haemophilus influenzae.

Conclusions:

Corticosteroids effectively reduce hearing loss and neurological sequelae in bacterial meningitis.
Overall mortality benefit was not demonstrated.
Therapeutic use is supported in high-income settings, with no observed benefit in low-income countries.