[Prognosis of purulent meningitis with particular reference to the beginning of treatment and age of the patient (author's transl)].

The relatively high lethality of meningitis is due to the delay in beginning treatment (usually caused by nonrecognition of the disease) and to the greater age of the patient (associated diseases). New aspects of the improvement of the prognosis were not obtained by comparison of various patient collectives a decade apart in our clinic, although an improvement in additional measures such as artificial respiration occurred. The reason lies in veiling by antibiotic premedication. Before beginning antibiotic therapy an exact etiological diagnosis should be made. This objective can only be attained by better training of the physician, including neurology.