Corticosteroids for Bacterial Meningitis in Adults in Developing Countries?

Evidence from early animal models and findings from some subsequent human trials support the use of corticosteroids in patients with bacterial meningitis. Although the initial human studies involved children, more-recent work indicates that early adjunctive corticosteroid administration can improve outcomes in adults as well. Most studies examining corticosteroid therapy have been performed in developed countries, however, and a pediatric trial in resource-limited Malawi showed no benefit from such therapy. Now, researchers have conducted large double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in Malawi and Vietnam to evaluate the role of adjunctive corticosteroids for bacterial meningitis in adults.

A total of 900 patients with probable or confirmed …