TB meningitis: Challenges, advances and handling the pressure
TB meningitis is the most severe form of tuberculosis, killing or severely disabling half of those it affects. Improving patient outcomes depends upon navigating the numerous challenges the disease presents - TB meningitis is underdiagnosed, diagnostic tests have low sensitivity, and anti-TB therapy duration is long. Complications are frequent and hard to manage, particularly neurological complications that result in elevated intracranial pressure. HIV co-infection and rising anti-TB drug resistance complicate matters further. Few data exist to guide best management of TB meningitis, yet advances are being made.
This webinar will be of interest to a wide audience and especially all those working or studying in the field of TB, be they, clinicians or researchers. They will learn of the key challenges faced with regard to TB meningitis, the recent progress that has been made, and future directions for the field.
Speaker
Dr Joseph Donovan, LSHTM and University College Hospital
Joe is an infectious diseases registrar currently working at LSHTM and University College Hospital. During the last 4 years, he was based in Vietnam managing two large multicentre clinical trials which are investigating the role of adjunctive corticosteroid therapy in tuberculous meningitis (the ACT HIV and LAST ACT trials). His tuberculous meningitis research to date has included diagnostic studies (Xpert Ultra vs., Xpert), early complication detection (optic nerve sheath measurement as a marker of intracranial pressure), and host response immunomodulation (in the context of Strongyloides stercoralis co-infection). Joe has recently returned to the UK as an academic clinical lecturer at LSHTM.
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