Clinical Presentation of Acute Bacterial Meningitis

What skin lesions are typically indicative of meningococcal involvement in bacterial meningitis?

Which of the following is a common clinical sign of bacterial meningitis in young children?

Which diagnostic marker in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is commonly altered in patients with meningitis?

In bacterial meningitis, which diagnostic method may provide rapid results but could be affected by prior antibiotic therapy?

What is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis?

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques are particularly helpful in diagnosing CNS infections when?

What is the primary clue that the underlying pathogen is N. meningitidis in patients?

Which antimicrobial is recommended for penicillin-susceptible isolates of N. meningitidis in meningococcal meningitis?

What is the recommended duration of therapy for meningococcal meningitis if there is a good clinical response?

Which cephalosporin antibiotics are recommended as the empiric treatment for meningococcal meningitis?

What type of contacts should receive antimicrobial chemoprophylaxis for N. meningitidis?

What is the advantage of direct instillation of antibiotics intrathecally or intraventricularly for bacterial meningitis?

When might intraventricular delivery of antibiotics be necessary for meningitis treatment?

Which antimicrobial agent is an exception in terms of penetration into the CSF?

Why may some anti-infective agents not achieve therapeutic levels against certain organisms in the CSF?

What is the recommended duration of antibiotic therapy for meningitis caused by S.pneumoniae?

When might PCR techniques be particularly useful for the rapid diagnosis of bacterial meningitis?