Meningitis Decreasing in the U.S.

Meningitis is a devastating infection that requires immediate diagnosis and prompt administration of antibiotics to prevent unfavorable outcomes. Until recently, Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae, and Listeria monocytogenes were the pathogens most often implicated. However, the epidemiology of meningitis has changed lately because effective vaccines against some of the pathogens have been introduced, and other organisms are becoming increasingly important as causes of infection following head trauma and neurosurgical procedures. A recent report — based on data for 1993 through 2011 from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the Kids' Inpatient Database, and the U.S. Census Bureau —…