BackgroundBacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and timely management has been shown to improve outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the early assessment and management of adults with suspected community‐onset meningitis between hospitals and identify opportunities for clinical practice improvement.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study was conducted at three principal referral hospitals in Sydney, Australia. Adult patients with suspected meningitis undergoing cerebrospinal fluid sampling between 1 July 2018 and 31 June 2019 were included. Relevant clinical and laboratory data were extracted from the medical record. Differences between sites were analysed and factors associated with time to antimicrobial therapy were assessed by Cox regression.ResultsIn 260 patients, the median time from triage to antibiotic administration was 332 min with a difference of up to 147 min between hospitals. Median time from triage to lumbar puncture (LP) was 366 min with an inter‐hospital difference of up to 198 min. Seventy per cent of patients had neuroimaging prior to LP, and this group had a significantly longer median time to antibiotic administration (367 vs 231 min; P = 0.001). Guideline concordant antibiotics were administered in 84% of patients, with only 39% of those administered adjunctive corticosteroids. Seven (3%) patients had confirmed bacterial meningitis. Modifiable factors associated with earlier antimicrobial administration included infectious diseases involvement (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 1.50 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01–2.24]) and computed tomography (CT) scanning (aHR, 0.67 [95% CI, 0.46–0.98]).ConclusionOpportunities for improvement include reducing the time to LP and antibiotic administration, improving coadministration of corticosteroids and avoiding potentially unnecessary CT scanning.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of viral polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing in patients with aseptic meningitis and identify opportunities for improvement in clinical management. All cerebrospinal fluid samples collected in 1 year from four teaching hospitals in Sydney, Australia, were reviewed. Patients with aseptic meningitis were selected, and clinical and diagnostic features, hospital length of stay (LOS), and treatment were analyzed. Identifying a cause by viral PCR did not reduce hospital LOS (median 3 days) or antibiotic use (median 2 days), but the turnaround time of the PCR test correlated with LOS (Rs = 0.3822, p = 0.0003). Forty‐one percent of patients received intravenous acyclovir treatment, which was more frequent in patients admitted under neurologists than infectious diseases physicians (56% vs. 24%; p = 0.013). The majority of patients did not have investigations for alternative causes of aseptic meningitis such as human immunodeficiency virus and syphilis if the viral PCR panel was negative. The benefit of PCR testing in aseptic meningitis in adults in reducing LOS and antibiotic use is unclear. The reasons for unnecessary aciclovir use in meningitis syndromes require further assessment.
Background. Malignant syphilis is a rare manifestation of secondary syphilis and is commonly associated with human immunodeficiency virus coinfection. It can present with multiorgan involvement, which poses a diagnostic dilemma to clinicians. Methods. We report a case of a middle aged male who presented with near complete vision loss in his right eye with initial concern for fungal endophthalmitis due to his injecting drug use history. He concurrently had right cheek and forearm ulcerative plaques. Results. He was diagnosed with disseminated syphilis following the punch biopsy of his right cheek, with positive Treponema pallidum result on polymerase chain reaction and identification of spirochaetes on immunostaining from histopathology. Conclusions. We present the epidemiology of syphilis in Australia and highlight the importance of testing for common sexually transmitted diseases within the emergence of the monkeypox outbreak.
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