Study Status: Completed
Recruit Status: Completed
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Slow Initial β-lactam Infusion With High-dose Paracetamol to Improve the Outcomes of Childhood Bacterial Meningitis, Especially of Pneumococcal Meningitis, in Angola.
Brief Summary:
The main purpose of this trial is to test if mortality of childhood bacterial meningitis can be reduced by slow, continuous infusion of cefotaxime initially, instead of the traditional bolus administration four times daily (qid), combined with high-dose paracetamol orally, when both treatments are executed for the first 4 days. The series will be collected at Hospital Pediátrico David Bernardino, Luanda, Angola.
The recruitment of patients begins, the conditions permitting, in early 2012. The criteria for patient participation is a child at the age of 2 months to 15 years who presents with the symptoms and signs suggestive of bacterial meningitis, for whom a lumbar puncture is performed, and the cerebrospinal fluid analysis suggests bacterial meningitis.