Full Neurological Recovery From Escherichia coli Meningitis Associated With Near-Death Experience
Surbhi Khanna, Lauren E. Moore, Bruce Greyson
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease August 20, 2018 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000000874 (opens in new tab) via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractA 54-year-old man with bacterial meningitis experienced a complete recovery without neurological deficits despite a fluctuating Glasgow Coma Scale score between 6 and 11 during an 8-day hospitalization. He recalled an elaborate near-death experience that occurred while he was comatose. The case underscores the value of studying near-death experiences during compromised brain function to better understand consciousness.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | 54-year-old otherwise healthy man with altered mental status and bacterial meningitis |
| Interventions | tobramycin ceftazidime ceftriaxone |
| Duration | 8-day hospitalization |
| Keywords | Glasgow coma scale Coma optics Medicine Ceftriaxone Tobramycin |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key finding | A patient with Escherichia coli meningitis and fluctuating moderate-to-severe brain injury recovered fully without deficits and reported a detailed near-death experience. |
Abstract
A 54-year-old otherwise healthy man presented with altered mental status. On admission, the patient was confused and agitated, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 11, suggesting moderate brain injury. He was sedated, placed on a ventilator, and started on tobramycin and ceftazidime for presumed bacterial meningitis, but switched to ceftriaxone once cultures returned as Escherichia coli. During his 8-day hospitalization, his mental status fluctuated from confused to nonresponsive, with GCS scores between 6 and 11. Although E. coli meningitis has a high rate of neurological complications and death, this patient recovered completely without any deficits, and recalled an elaborate near-death experience that occurred during his coma. This case highlights the importance of studying near-death experiences occurring during compromised brain function to further our understanding of the brain and consciousness.