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Question:

My brother in law has meningitis as a result of an epidural for back pain. He was initially in hospital receiving anti biotics and anti viral drugs + pain killers . The hospital sent him home after a week and a team continued his treatment visiting him 3 times a day . This has now stopped - however he still has terrible headaches and is sensitive to light . Today he saw his GP who says he has jaundice and is having a blood test tomorrow at a different hospital . The family are extremely concerned - he does not seem to be getting better and is being passed around with no one seemingly responsible overall . His GP for instance didn't have a single note on his case . What would you advise - We would be very grateful for your help

Answer:

Professor Michael Levin says:

We were sorry to hear of the ordeal that your family is suffering. If we have understood your description correctly, it sounds as if your brother-in-law was being treated with an epidural for back pain and this led to meningitis. Although epidural anaesthesia is generally very safe and performed in hospitals throughout the country on a daily basis, a very rare complication of inserting a needle into the epidural space to adminster painkillers is the development of meningitis. The bacteria causing meningitis in this circumstance may be different from those normally causing meningitis and it is important that the treatment of meningitis arising from an epidural should be discussed with an expert microbiologist or infectious diseases physician to ensure that the correct antibiotic treatments are being administered. The fact that your brother-in-law has remained unwell and has developed jaundice is worrying, and it certainly sounds as if an expert physician, a specialist in infectious diseases, should be involved in his care. We would suggest that the family arrange to urgently discuss his condition with the hospital consultant who he is under. If his condition is not improving, the family has every right to request consultation with an infectious diseases specialist or neurologist, given the complex nature of his illness. We hope these comments are of help.

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