Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 357, Issue 9267, 12 May 2001, Pages 1499-1500
The Lancet

Research Letters
New rapid antigen test for diagnosis of pneumococcal meningitis

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(00)04658-4Get rights and content

Summary

Conventional diagnostic methods for bacterial meningitis are frequently not rapid or sensitive enough to guide initial antimicrobial therapy. Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most frequent and severe cause of community-acquired bacterial meningitis and treatment is complicated by the increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance to third-generation cephalosporins. We used a new rapid antigen test in the cerebrospinal fluid and urine of patients with suspected bacterial meningitis, and found it to be highly sensitive and specific for the detection of pneumococci. This test might help guide initial therapy for bacterial meningitis according to the local rates of pneumococcal antimicrobial resistance.

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