Prednisolone in the treatment of pneumococcal meningitis

The results of a steroid on 52 Nigerians (27 males, 25 females, aged 10 to 59 years) with bacteriologically proven pneumococcal meningitis are presented. Twenty-four of the patients were treated with steroids in addition to a standard regime. The clinical features on admission in the two groups were comparable and management other than steroid administration identical. Personality change with impairment of intellect was more frequent and mortality higher in the steroid-treated group although the differences wre not statistically significant. It is concluded that steroids apparently have no beneficial effect and may worsen the prognosis in pneumococcal meningitis.