Clinical management of community-acquired meningitis in adults in the UK and Ireland in 2017: a retrospective cohort study on behalf of the National Infection Trainees Collaborative for Audit and Research (NITCAR).

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To assess practice in the care of adults with suspected community-acquired bacterial meningitis in the UK and Ireland.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

64 UK and Irish hospitals.

Participants

1471 adults with community-acquired meningitis of any aetiology in 2017.

Results

None of the audit standards, from the 2016 UK Joint Specialists Societies guideline on diagnosis and management of meningitis, were met in all cases. With respect to 20 of 30 assessed standards, clinical management provided for patients was in line with recommendations in less than 50% of cases. 45% of patients had blood cultures taken within an hour of admission, 0.5% had a lumbar puncture within 1 hour, 26% within 8 hours. 28% had bacterial molecular diagnostic te

SUBMITTER: Ellis J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9315913 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature