Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

The assessment and management of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is often complex, yet no standardised approach exists, and evidence for the clinical care of patients, including those with critical illness, is limited. The roles of proformas and checklists are increasing in medicine; proformas provide a framework for a thorough approach to patient care, whereas checklists offer a priority-based approach that may be applied to deteriorating patients in time-critical situations. We aimed to develop a comprehensive assessment proforma and an accompanying ‘priorities’ checklist for patients with TBM, with the overriding goal being to improve patient outcomes. The proforma outlines what should be asked, checked, or tested at initial evaluation and daily inpatient review to assist supportive clinical care for patients, with an adapted list for patients in critical care. It is accompanied by a supporting document describing why these points are relevant to TBM. Our priorities checklist offers a useful and easy reminder of important issues to review during a time-critical period of acute patient deterioration. The benefit of these documents to patient outcomes would require investigation; however, we hope they will promote standardisation of patient assessment and care, particularly of critically unwell individuals, in whom morbidity and mortality remains unacceptably high.

Original publication

DOI

10.12688/wellcomeopenres.15512.2

Type

Publication Date

2020

Keywords

Tuberculous Meningitis International Research Consortium