Therapy | Encephalitis

Therapy

Drug therapy depends strongly on the type of pathogen. In the case of bacterial (meningo-) encephalitis, the genus must first be determined by laboratory diagnosis, after which the appropriate antibiotic can be selected. A combination of different active ingredients increases the effectiveness of the treatment, whereby attention must be paid to possible allergies (e.g. penicillin allergy).

If the pathogen is resistant, as is increasingly common with hospital germs today, an antibiogram must be taken. In the process, a wide variety of antibiotics are determined which are effective against the bacterium. In comparison, treatment for viral causes is usually less complicated.

Bed rest and symptom-related medication can usually attenuate the course of the disease and wait for the viral encephalitis to heal. In herpes simplex encephalitis, as well as in HIV-induced infections of the CNS (central nervous system), a more intensive therapy must be chosen. Antiviral drugs, such as Aciclovir, are toxic to the body, but are the only way to stop the reproduction of the viruses.

For HIV, which belongs to the group of the so-called retroviruses, special antiretroviral drugs must be chosen to achieve the optimal treatment. Antimycotics are used against fungi (e.g. Fluconazole, Amphotericin B), against worms anthelmintics (e.g. Praziquantel) and against unicellular organisms such as Toxoplasma sp.

antiparasitics (e.g. Pyrimethamine). The treatment of encephalitis is always carried out in the hospital, as patients must be constantly monitored and serious complications can be treated there immediately. Complications can include the development of a brain edema or the spread of the inflammation.

Depending on the type of disease and its course, encephalitis can have different degrees of severity. In many cases, patients are completely cured, but encephalitis can also be life-threatening and fatal. Some patients retain late sequelae after the inflammation has subsided, e.g.B.

Concentration problems, headaches or difficulty falling asleep. Due to the sometimes severe course of the disease, it is important that encephalitis is detected in time and treated immediately. There are also protective vaccinations against many viruses that can cause encephalitis (influenza, TBE, measles, mumps, rubella).