Along with Dr Ian K Maconochie Department of Paediatrics A&E, St Mary’s Hospital, London, UK – Dr Soumyadeep Bhaumik has completed a Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis titled “Fluid therapy for acute bacterial meningites”.
The extensive review has data of 415 patients in total and “no significant differences in death rates or overall effects on neurological function, either immediately or later. There was also some evidence favouring maintenance fluid therapy over restricted fluids for chronic severe neurological events at three months follow-up.”
However the available evidence is limited and not of high quality (GRADE) and there is an immense need to conduct more research on the issue . It is indeed sad that trials on intravenous fluids for bacterial meningites,one of the most importance interventions are not happening. This is probably because unlike antibiotics from which “big and small pharma “can make huge profites – research on intravenous fluids is not profitable. There is a need for charities as well as government funding for sponsorinf trials on these kind of interventions.
Read full Cochrane Review here . (Click : Open access in India vide ICMR funding)
Read Cochrane Clinical Answer on this topic here . (Click : needs subscription)
Dr. Soumyadeep Bhaumik 