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In experimental models of meningitis, dexamethasone therapy increased hippocampal cell injury and reduced learning capacity. The current study was designed to determine if dexamethasone therapy would have a similar adverse effect on cognitive outcomes in adults with pneumococcal or meningococcal meningitis.
Study participants were part of the previous European Dexamethasone in Adulthood Bacterial Meningitis Study. In that study, 301 patients had been randomly assigned to receive dexamethasone (10 mg every 6 hours for 4 days) or placebo. The meningeal pathogen identified by CSF culture was Streptococcus pneumoniae in 108 patients, Neisseria meningitides in 97 patients, and other bacteria in 31 patients. CSF culture was negative in 65 patients…