Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy. Management of serious infections. Part II: Amenable infections and models for delivery. Meningitis.

Children with bacterial meningitis are ideal candidates for outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy; most recover from the acute infection within five days and do not require skilled nursing observation of neurologic status during the entire course of therapy. Before discharge, the child should be afebrile, show a good response to therapy, and demonstrate no neurologic abnormalities.