Meningitis remains the leading infectious cause of death in early childhood; it is most common in infants from 1 month to 5 years, or young adults, and affects approximately 2–6 per 100 000.

Meningitis causes an inflammation of the meninges and cerbrospinal fluid, due to a viral or bacterial infection. While viral meningitis is most common, it is usually self-limiting, therefore the focus will be on the management of bacterial meningitis which has an overall mortality rate of 5–10% of cases. Once the central nervous system is infected an inflammatory response is stimulated, this may result in vasculitis, thrombosis, infarction and oedema which may cause raised intracranial pressure (RICP), brain damage and death.