Either contact your GP or call an ambulance without delay and make it clear that you suspect meningitis. If there is meningitis at your children s school, you should follow the guidelines set out by the school doctor. Do not panic, but be vigilant. The mainstay of treatment for bacterial meningitis is antibiotics given directly into the vein. A drip is also usually used to keep the person well hydrated.
Some patients require a stay in an intensive care unit.
Viral meningitis, which is less serious than bacterial meningitis, does not usually require specific treatment, over and above bed rest, fluids and pain killers. If a person is diagnosed as having meningitis, people who have come into close contact with that person must be tested for the bacteria by having a throat swab. They will also receive antibiotics as a precautionary measure. If bacterial meningitis is detected early and treatment started immediately, more than 90 per cent of people survive with no long-term complications. If treatment is delayed, permanent brain damage and death are more likely.