Gram-negative bacillary meningitis therapy. Polyradiculitis following intralumbar aminoglycoside administration

• Published in: JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 236; no. 11; p. 1264
• Main Authors: Hollifield, J W, Kaiser, A B, McGee, Z A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 13.09.1976
• Subjects: Adult; Aminoglycosides - administration & dosage; Aminoglycosides - adverse effects; Aminoglycosides - therapeutic use; Cerebrospinal Fluid - microbiology; Female; Gentamicins - adverse effects; Humans; Klebsiella Infections - drug therapy; Klebsiella pneumoniae - isolation & purification; Meningitis - drug therapy; Meningitis - etiology; Methods; Polyradiculopathy - chemically induced; Spinal Puncture; Tobramycin - adverse effects
• ISSN: 0098-7484
• DOI: 10.1001/jama.1976.03270120040023

Gram-negative bacillary meningitis is a serious threat to patients with head trauma or altered immune systems, or those who have had neurosurgical procedures. The aminoglycoside antibiotics administered systemically and into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) have proved useful in the treatment of these infections. Intralumbar and parenteral gentamicin sulfate and tobramycin sulfate were administered to an acromegalic woman with Klebsiella meningitis. She had objective evidence of adhesive arachnoiditis and symptoms of polyradiculitis. Cessation of the aminoglycoside administration resulted in symptomatic improvement, and reinstitution of therapy caused a recurrence of neurologic symptoms. Polyradiculitis may be a complication of the intralumbar administration of aminoglycosides.