Fifteen-minute consultation: Enterovirus meningitis and encephalitis: When can we stop the antibiotics?

Enterovirus (EV) is the most common cause of aseptic meningitis and has a benign course, unlike EV encephalitis, which can result in long-term neurological sequelae. There are no active treatments or prophylactic agents, and management is purely supportive. Obtaining an EV-positive cerebrospinal flu...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Drysdale, S, Kelly, D
Format: Journal article
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2016
Description
Summary:Enterovirus (EV) is the most common cause of aseptic meningitis and has a benign course, unlike EV encephalitis, which can result in long-term neurological sequelae. There are no active treatments or prophylactic agents, and management is purely supportive. Obtaining an EV-positive cerebrospinal fluid result usually allows antimicrobial treatment to be stopped. This review will answer some of the common questions surrounding EV meningitis/encephalitis.