Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Viral meningitis medical therapy
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Viral meningitis has no specific treatment as most of the patients recover within 7-10 days. However, antiviral medical therapy can be provided for the patients caused with specific viruses like the enteroviruses or the influenza.
Medical therapy
Medical therapy
Viral meningitis treatment is done in two ways the supportive measures and the antiviral therapy.
Supportive measures
- Analgesics for relieving pain.
- Acetaminophen for the fever.
- If seizures are noticed, Phenytoin would be helpful.
- Fluids and electrolytes management to avoid development of brain edema.[1]
Antiviral medical therapy
- Acyclovir is the antiviral agent that can be used against the enteroviruses. It is effective against viral meningitis so that it is recommended to start it early.[2]
- Pleconaril and immune serum globulin (ISG) are antiviral agents that can be used in case of enteroviral meningitis. They inhibit viral replication.
References
References
- ↑ Rotbart HA (2000). “Viral meningitis”. Semin Neurol. 20 (3): 277–92. doi:10.1055/s-2000-9427. PMID 11051293.
- ↑ Tyler KL (2004). “Herpes simplex virus infections of the central nervous system: encephalitis and meningitis, including Mollaret’s”. Herpes. 11 Suppl 2: 57A–64A. PMID 15319091.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Ahmed Elsaiey, MBBCH [2]