Meningitis after cochlear implantation

doi:10.1136/bmj.39380.598380.80

BMJ 2007;335:1058 (24 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.39380.598380.80

Editorials

Meningitis after cochlear implantation

The risk is low, and preventive measures can reduce this further

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Since the 1980s, more than 80 000 people have received cochlearimplants worldwide.¹ These implants are designed to enable peoplewho are severely or profoundly deaf to experience sound andspeech. Since 1990, implantation has become standard treatmentfor people who cannot communicate effectively despite well fittedhearing aids.² Children who are deaf when they are born canperceive sound and learn to speak if they receive cochlear implantsat a young age (ideally under 18 months).³ The use of cochlearimplants has been thought to be safe.⁴ But since 2002 the numberof patients with meningitis related to cochlear implantationhas increased worldwide.⁵ Mortality and neurological complicationsafter meningitis are high. We need to investigate the reasonsfor this and look at measures to reduce them.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common organism involved.⁶⁷ The incidence of pneumococcal meningitis was found to be morethan that of an age . . . [Full text of this article]

Benjamin PC Wei, honorary fellow¹, Graeme M Clark, emeritus professor¹, Stephen J O'Leary, associate professor¹, Robert K Shepherd, director and professor², Roy M Robins-Browne, head of department and professor³

¹ Department of Otolaryngology, University of Melbourne, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia, ² Bionic Ear Institute, Melbourne East, VIC 3002, Australia, ³ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia

bwei@bionicear.org