Abstract
Acute bacterial meningitis is a severe infectious disease of the central nervous system. Its incidence has decreased but the case fatality rates and frequency of sequelae remain high.
Early initiation of appropriate treatment is a factor strongly affecting the patient's prognosis. The authors present a Czech national guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired acute bacterial meningitis meant to provide clear and simple recommendations for clinicians caring for adult and pediatric patients with the disease.
The national guideline is based on a 2016 European guideline that has been adapted to the situation in the Czech Republic. It has been approved by the Society for Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Society for Medical Microbiology of the Czech Medical Association.