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Meningitis - gram-negative - Overview

Alternative Names

Gram-negative meningitis

Definition of Meningitis - gram-negative:

Gram-negative meningitis is an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (meninges) from bacteria that turn pink when exposed to a special stain (Gram-negative bacteria).

See also:

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Acute bacterial meningitis can be caused by Gram-negative bacteria. Bacteria causing Gram-negative meningitis include:

  • Acinetobacter baumannii
  • Enterobacter aerogenes
  • Escherichia coli
  • Klebsiella pneumoniae
  • Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Gram-negative meningitis is much more common in infants than adults.

Risk factors in adults and children include:

  • Reviewed last on: 9/15/2010
  • David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, PhD, MD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Swartz MN. Meningitis: bacterial, viral, and other. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 437.

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