Division CNS-MEN: Meningitis or ventriculitis

Meningitis or ventriculitis must meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Patient has organisms cultured from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

• Patient has at least 1 of the following signs or symptoms with no other recognized cause: fever (> 38 °C), headache, stiff neck, meningeal signs, cranial nerve signs, or irritability

  AND at least one of the following:

  • increased white cells, elevated protein, and/or decreased glucose in CSF

  • organisms seen on Gram's stain of CSF

  • organisms cultured from blood

  • positive antigen test of CSF, blood, or urine

  • diagnostic single antibody titre (IgM) or 4-fold increase in paired sera (IgG) for pathogen

  AND if diagnosis is made antemortem, physician institutes appropriate antimicrobial therapy.