cefotaxime and Coma

We report a case of a 5-year-old boy with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis as the initial presentation of neuroborreliosis. Parents report an upper-airway infection a few days before the development of acute encephalopathy, mild facial palsy, and seizures. The patient needed mechanical ventilation for 10 days, and after extubation, he presented hypotonia, ataxia, dysarthria, as well as weak gag and cough reflexes. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperintense lesions on T2- and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences on the right subcortical occipital and parietal region, left posterior arm of the internal capsule, and in the medulla oblongata. Borrelia burgdorferi was identified in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid by polymerase chain reaction and in the plasma by Western blotting. He was treated with ceftriaxone, methylprednisolone, and human immunoglobulin. Recovery was partial.

Topics: Brain Damage, Chronic; Cefotaxime; Ceftriaxone; Child, Preschool; Coma; Diazepam; Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated; Facial Paralysis; Humans; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; Lyme Neuroborreliosis; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mastoiditis; Methylprednisolone; Portugal; Respiration, Artificial; Respiratory Insufficiency; Respiratory Tract Infections; Seizures; Sinusitis; Vancomycin

Few adverse effects have been reported with adjunctive dexamethasone treatment in pneumococcal meningitis. Nevertheless, we report a case of cerebral vasculitis. A 49-year-old man was admitted for fever and altered mental status. Lumbar puncture revealed a high inflammatory response and Streptococcus pneumoniae was identified by culture. Antibacterial therapy and adjunctive dexamethasone treatment were initiated as recommended. The immediate outcome was favorable but due to the onset of focal cerebral abnormalities, a CT scan was performed on the ninth day showing cerebral vasculitis. The patient died on the thirteenth day despite antibacterial therapy and resuscitation. In our case, a secondary neurological worsening appeared when adjunctive dexamethasone treatment was stopped suggesting a rebound effect. Observation of similar cases may lead to modifying adjunctive dexamethasone treatment protocol in bacterial meningitis.

Topics: Amoxicillin; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Arthritis, Infectious; Brain Edema; Cefotaxime; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Coma; Dexamethasone; Drug Therapy, Combination; Emergencies; Encephalocele; Fatal Outcome; Fever; Humans; Knee Joint; Male; Meningitis, Pneumococcal; Middle Aged; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Vancomycin; Vasculitis, Central Nervous System

Over the last decade Streptococcus pneumoniae has emerged as the most common bacterial pathogen for meningitis in all age groups, beyond the neonatal period.. To determine the epidemiological and clinical characteristics; and risk factors for mortality of pneumoccocal meningitis in children in a developing transitional country.. A retrospective study that included patients<15 years of age admitted at the Instituto de Medicina Tropical of Paraguay, from January 1990 until December 2003 with the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis caused by S. pneumoniae. Clinical and laboratory data were collected and analysed in order to identify risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality outcomes of this infection.. Seventy-two patients (between the ages of 35 days and 14 years) were identified. Forty-two per cent of patients had seizures prior to or at the time of admission, 36% were admitted in a comatose state, and 19% with shock. Mortality was 33% (24/72), and 18% of the survivors (11/60) developed severe sequelae. Upon admission, the following variables were strongly correlated with mortality: age<12 months (P=0.007), the presence of seizures (P=0.0001) or development of seizures 48 h after admission (P=0.01), a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucose level of <10 mg/dl (P=0.01), CSF albumin>200 mg/dl (P=0.0003), an absolute blood neutrophil count<2000/mm3 (P=0.006) and a haemoglobin value of <9 g/dl (P=0.0001).. This study confirms the high morbidity and mortality associated with S. pneumoniae meningitis in Paraguay. Certain clinical parameters and laboratory findings in blood and CSF at the time of admission could be used as predictors for mortality or severe sequelae among survivors.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adolescent; Age Distribution; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cefotaxime; Child; Child, Preschool; Coma; Female; Humans; Infant; Male; Meningitis, Pneumococcal; Paraguay; Penicillins; Retrospective Studies; Risk Factors; Seizures; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Treatment Outcome