Question
A two-month-old baby has a fever and has been diagnosed with empyema meningitis. A lumbar puncture has been performed, and the report shows a white blood cell count of 900, protein level of 745, and sugar level of 1.7. The baby has been transferred from the intensive care unit to a general ward, and the white blood cell count has dropped to 3, protein level to 500, and sugar level to 2.4. Ask about the possible causes of recurrent fever and infection in the baby with empyema meningitis.
Answer
Empyema meningitis is a severe brain infection that often coexists with empyema encephalitis or brain abscess. The most common pathogens include meningococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. Other possible causes include Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus, Escherichia coli, Bacteroides, anaerobes, Salmonella, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.