Meningitis
Other Treatment
People with severe meningitis or complications during illness may need to be treated in the intensive care unit of a hospital. They may need:
- Oxygen therapy, to help ease breathing and reduce the amount of work on the heart. A pulse oximeter often is used to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood. In addition, if people are too sick to breathe on their own, they may need a machine called a ventilator.
- Suctioning, to remove mucus from the bronchial tubes. A small plastic tube is inserted into the mouth or nose. The tube is attached to a machine that gently sucks out mucus. Other treatments, such as breathing exercises and massage, also can be used to remove mucus.
- Liquids given through a vein (intravenous, or IV). Sometimes people are too sick to drink liquids.
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| Author: | Debby Golonka, MPH | Last Updated: January 19, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease | |
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