Common Organisms by Patient Population in Bacterial Meningitis: Bacterial Pathogens and Risk/Predisposing Factors

Tunkel AR, Hartman BJ, Kaplan SL, et al. Practice guidelines for the management of bacterial meningitis. Clin Infect Dis. 2004 Nov 1. 39(9):1267-84. [Medline].
van de Beek D, de Gans J, Tunkel AR, Wijdicks EF. Community-acquired bacterial meningitis in adults. N Engl J Med. 2006 Jan 5. 354(1):44-53. [Medline].

Table. Bacterial Pathogens and Risk or Predisposing Factors^[1, 2]

Table. Bacterial Pathogens and Risk or Predisposing Factors ^{[1, 2]}

Risk and/or Predisposing Factor	Bacterial Pathogen
Age 18-50 y	Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis
Age >50 y	S pneumoniae, N meningitidis, Listeria monocytogenes, aerobic gram-negative bacilli
Immunocompromised state	S pneumoniae, N meningitidis, L monocytogenes, aerobic gram-negative bacilli
Postneurosurgery	Aerobic gram-negative bacilli (including Pseudomonas aeruginosa), Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci (especially Staphylococcus epidermidis)
Basilar skull fracture	S pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, group A β-hemolytic streptococci
Cerebrospinal fluid shunt	Coagulase-negative staphylococci (especially S epidermidis), S aureus, aerobic gram-negative bacilli, Propionibacterium acnes

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Author

Shingo Chihara, MD Assistant Professor of Clinical Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Shingo Chihara, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, International Society of Travel Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Janak Koirala, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA Professor of Medicine and Division Chief, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Janak Koirala, MD, MPH, FACP, FIDSA is a member of the following medical societies: America Nepal Medical Foundation, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American College of Physicians-American Society of Internal Medicine, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, HIV Medicine Association, Illinois State Medical Society, Infectious Diseases Society of America, International AIDS Society, International Society for Infectious Diseases, International Society of Travel Medicine, Mclean County Medical Society, Nepal Medical Association, Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research, Sangamon County Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Jasmeet Anand, PharmD, RPh Adjunct Instructor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Editor-in-Chief, Medscape Drug Reference

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Michael Stuart Bronze, MD David Ross Boyd Professor and Chairman, Department of Medicine, Stewart G Wolf Endowed Chair in Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center; Master of the American College of Physicians; Fellow, Infectious Diseases Society of America

Michael Stuart Bronze, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, Association of Professors of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Oklahoma State Medical Association, Southern Society for Clinical Investigation

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Common Organisms by Patient Population in Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial Pathogens and Risk/Predisposing Factors

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