Pneumococcal meningitis in a patient with severe COVID-19 on dexamethasone and tocilizumab: A case report

Yoshiaki Murayama; Tomohiko Ishimine; Mikio Sasano; Takafumi Todaka; Takashi Matsumoto; Taiga Shimabukuro; Risa Yonaha

doi:10.1016/j.idcr.2023.e01727

Pneumococcal meningitis in a patient with severe COVID-19 on dexamethasone and tocilizumab: A case report

IDCases. 2023:32:e01727. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2023.e01727. Epub 2023 Mar 3.

Authors

Yoshiaki Murayama¹, Tomohiko Ishimine¹, Mikio Sasano², Takafumi Todaka², Takashi Matsumoto², Taiga Shimabukuro¹, Risa Yonaha¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Respiratory Medicine, Nakagami Hospital, 610 Noborikawa, Okinawa city, Okinawa 904-2142, Japan.
² Department of Critical Care Medicine, Nakagami Hospital, 610 Noborikawa, Okinawa city, Okinawa 904-2142, Japan.

Abstract

Although various therapeutic agents have been tried for coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) and evidence has accumulated, the risk of secondary infection is increased by underlying disease and immunosuppressive drugs. We report a case of pneumococcal meningitis in a patient with severe COVID-19 who was receiving dexamethasone and tocilizumab. The patient's symptoms improved with appropriate diagnosis and antimicrobial therapy, and she fortunately returned to society without any neurological sequelae of meningitis.

Keywords: COVID-19; Meningitis; SARS-CoV-2; Secondary-infection; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Tocilizumab.

Publication types

Case Reports