Actual facts about bacterial meningitis

Background Bacterial meningitis still represents an important chapter in the present infectious pathology, despite the increasing progress in the prophylaxis and prevention measures. Apart from tuberculous etiology, and of course the well-known classical etiologies – meningococcal, pneumococcal, Haemophilus influenzae, staphylococcal and Gram-negative bacteria – new entities that need to be evaluated seem to appear. Objectives: 1. To determine the incidence of bacterial meningitis in the last years, in comparison with the international situation encountered in this pathology. 2. To detect new predisposing and risk factors for meningitis. 3. The important role of procalcitonin and other markers for the quick diagnosis of meningitis. 4. The utilization in the current medical practice of modern molecular diagnostic tests, especially for the severe and atypical cases.