1395. Comparison of Four Recommendations Guiding the Use of Neuroimaging in the Management of Bacterial Meningitis

Abstract

BackgroundCurrently multiple sets of recommendations exist to guide the use of cranial imaging before lumbar puncture in adults with suspected meningitis. We aimed to compare the utility of the four main guidelines [Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), UK, and Swedish guidelines] in detecting major head CT scan findings that eventually impacted clinical management in adults with community-acquired bacterial meningitis.MethodsA retrospective observational study of 111 adults (age > 17 years) with community-acquired bacterial meningitis admitted to 10 tertiary care hospitals in Houston TX, between December 2004 and March 2016. Major and minor CT findings were stratified based on their inclusion status within the four separate guidelines.ResultsA total of 38 (34%) patients had minor head CT scans (small ischemic white matter changes, lacunar strokes) and 17 (15%) patients had major CT findings (hydrocephalus, subarachnoid hemorrhage or interventricular hemorrhage, cerebral edema, pneumocephalus, ventriculomegaly, septic embolus, hindbrain herniation, and temporal lobe encephalitis). Of those 17 with major CT findings, 6 patients had a change in clinical management [External Ventricular Drainage (EVD) placement] as a direct result of their CT findings. The IDSA set of guidelines was the only one that included all of the major CT scan findings and all the cases in which the findings of a brain CT resulted in a change in management (EVD placement).ConclusionThe IDSA was the most inclusive guideline in regards to (1) indications for cranial imaging that would have detected all major abnormal brain CT findings and 2) including cranial imaging that resulted in significant changes in clinical management in adults with community-acquired bacterial meningitis. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.