A clinical practice guideline for tuberculous meningitis

Abstract

Tuberculous meningitis is the most severe form of tuberculosis, causing death or disability in around half of those affected. There are no up-to-date international guidelines defining its optimal management. Therefore, the Tuberculous Meningitis International Research Consortium conducted a systematic review of available evidence to address key management questions and to develop practice guidance. The consortium includes representatives from India, Indonesia, South Africa, Uganda, Viet Nam, Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, and the USA. Questions were developed using the Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcome (PICO) format for tuberculous meningitis diagnosis, anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy, adjunctive anti-inflammatory therapy, and neurocritical and neurosurgical care. A Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations approach was used to assess the certainty (or quality) of evidence and establish the direction and strength of recommendations for each PICO-based question. We provide evidence-based recommendations for the optimal treatment and diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis, alongside expert opinion. We expose substantial knowledge and evidence gaps, thereby highlighting current research priorities.