Lumbar drainage for the treatment of severe bacterial meningitis.

Objective: To assess the safety and effectiveness of lumbar drains as adjuvant therapy in severe bacterial meningitis, and compare it to standard treatment.

Design: A retrospective cohort study of all patients above the age of 18 years with bacterial meningitis and altered mental status admitted to the Montreal Neurological Hospital Intensive Care Unit from January 2000 to December 2010.

Patients: Thirty-seven patients were identified using clinical and cerebrospinal fluid criteria.