Medications

The decision about what medicine to use depends on the organism causing the infection, the extent of the infection, and the person's age and general health.

Medication choices

Medicines used for treating meningitis include:

• Antibiotics to treat bacterial infection. Often two antibiotics are given together. Antibiotics aren't given for viral meningitis.
• Medicines to treat seizures.
• Medicines to treat pressure on the brain.
• Medicines to treat fever and muscle aches. The most common ones are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and acetaminophen (Tylenol).

Other Treatment

People who are very sick may need to be treated in the intensive care unit of a hospital. They may need one or both of these additional treatments:

• Oxygen therapy, to help them breathe and to reduce the amount of work on the heart. A pulse oximeter often is used to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood. Also, if people are too sick to breathe on their own, they may need a machine called a ventilator.
• Suctioning, to remove mucus from the bronchial tubes. A small plastic tube is inserted into the mouth or nose. The tube is attached to a machine that gently sucks out mucus. Other treatments, such as breathing exercises and massage, also can be used to remove mucus.