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Short course intravenous benzylpenicillin treatment of adults with meningococcal disease
Author(s) -
Briggs S.,
EllisPegler R.,
Roberts S.,
Thomas M.,
Woodhouse A.
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2004.00601.x
Subject(s) - medicine , meningococcal disease , benzylpenicillin , meningitis , disease , meningococcal meningitis , retrospective cohort study , surgery , pediatrics , antibiotics , neisseria meningitidis , penicillin , biology , bacteria , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics
Background : Short‐course treatment of meningococcal disease (including meningitis) with 4−5 days of an i.v. β‐lactam is of proven efficacy. Since April 1998, all adult patients with meningococcal disease admitted to Auckland Hospital were prospectively treated with 3 days of i.v. benzylpenicillin. Aims : To assess the clinical features, laboratory findings, disease complications and outcome of patients with meningococcal disease prospectively treated with 3 days of i.v. benzylpenicillin. Methods : A retrospective chart review of all adult patients with meningococcal disease admitted to Auckland Hospital from April 1998 to December 2002 was conducted. Results : Ninety patients with definite ( n = 72) or probable ( n = 16) meningococcal disease were admitted during the study period. Two were excluded on the basis of treatment duration. The remaining 88 patients received a mean ± standard deviation duration of treatment of 3.1 ± 0.5 days (excluding those who died while receiving treatment). Six patients (7%) died, four of whom while on treatment. There were no relapses. Conclusion : Three days of i.v. benzylpenicillin for the treatment of adults with meningococcal disease is effective. (Intern Med J 2004; 34: 383−387)