Keywords
Meningitis, sepsis, Geriatric Sepsis, geriatrics
Date of Presentation
5-1-2025 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
We report the case of an 88-year-old female who presented with altered mental status, initially suspected to have urosepsis but ultimately diagnosed with streptococcal meningitis. The patient had a history of lethargy and anorexia over the past few days and was found to have sepsis. Despite initial focus on urosepsis, blood cultures revealed Streptococcus, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed bacterial meningitis. This case highlights the potential for meningitis to be overlooked in elderly patients with suspected sepsis, underscoring the importance of broad diagnostic considerations and early intervention. This case highlights the importance of considering meningitis in elderly patients presenting with altered mental status and the need for early sepsis management, including empiric antibiotic therapy.
Disciplines
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses | Diagnosis | Emergency Medicine | Geriatrics | Internal Medicine | Medicine and Health Sciences | Nervous System Diseases | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms
Included in
Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons, Diagnosis Commons, Emergency Medicine Commons, Geriatrics Commons, Internal Medicine Commons, Nervous System Diseases Commons, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons
Case Report: When Confusion Signals a Crisis: Rethinking the Diagnosis of Meningitis in Geriatric Sepsis
We report the case of an 88-year-old female who presented with altered mental status, initially suspected to have urosepsis but ultimately diagnosed with streptococcal meningitis. The patient had a history of lethargy and anorexia over the past few days and was found to have sepsis. Despite initial focus on urosepsis, blood cultures revealed Streptococcus, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed bacterial meningitis. This case highlights the potential for meningitis to be overlooked in elderly patients with suspected sepsis, underscoring the importance of broad diagnostic considerations and early intervention. This case highlights the importance of considering meningitis in elderly patients presenting with altered mental status and the need for early sepsis management, including empiric antibiotic therapy.
