Aseptic meningitis

This chapter describes the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with both aseptic meningitis and encephalitis. It also addresses the major causes of aseptic meningitis. Although bacterial meningitis is quite rare in an era of widespread conjugate vaccines, diagnosis often depends on the results of bacterial cultures which may take several days. Aseptic meningitis, on the other hand, is typically a benign childhood infection requiring supportive care alone. It also reviews available clinical decision rules that may assist the clinician in distinguishing which children with aseptic meningitis are at very low risk of bacterial meningitis using predictors available at the time of clinical presentation.