Improving the Diagnosis of Meningitis in Emergency Rooms

A point-of-care laboratory (POC) was set at North Hospital, Marseille, France for the diagnosis in less than two hours of meningitis caused by known pathogens, close to the reception of Emergency service. In this instance 30% of patients have no etiological diagnosis after the POC diarrhoea tests . This lab has discovered over 200 new species of bacteria in humans, including vector bacteria and opened the field of large Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA ) viruses. Also, the laboratory of emerging viruses discovered many Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) viruses transmitted by arthropods. Based on this collection of new pathogens described in POC laboratory, this study proposes to expand the etiological diagnosis strategy of meningitis after POC test.

Patients admitted in emergency rooms for clinical meningitis, for which a nasopharyngeal swab will be performed in order to confirm the etiological diagnosis of meningitis

Inclusion Criteria: Patient admitted at hospital for meningitis requiring, for the emergency physician, a microbiological examination with a "POC meningitis kit." Patient who has freely signed the informed written consent Patient affiliated to a social security scheme Exclusion Criteria: Pregnant woman, parturient or nursing Adult patient under guardianship Patient deprived of liberty under court order Patient refusing or unable to sign the informed consent form.