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)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| 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 |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Glasgow coma scale Coma optics Ceftriaxone Tobramycin Meningitis Altered mental status Ceftazidime Level of consciousness Anesthesia Pediatrics Antibiotics Microbiology Pseudomonas aeruginosa Gentamicin |
| Citations | 11 |
| Key findings | 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.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near-Death Experiences in India Individuals in India who reported near-death experiences | 1986 | Case study | n = 16 |
| The Near-Death Experience as a Focus of Clinical Attention Patients presenting with near-death experience-related problems | 1997 | Case study | n = 4 |
| A prospectively studied near-death experience with corroborated out-of-body perceptions and unexplained healing. A person who had a near-death experience | 2006 | Case report | n = 1 |
| Verified account of near-death experience in a physician who survived cardiac arrest. A 32-year-old female physician experiencing childbirth | 2020 | Case study | n = 1 |
| This is your brain on death: a comparative analysis of a near-death experience and subsequent 5-Methoxy-DMT experience. An individual who had a near-death experience during a coma caused by bacterial... | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Semiology and Mechanisms of Near-Death Experiences Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports July 27, 2019
- Explanation of near-death experiences: a systematic analysis of case reports and qualitative research. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Persistence of Attitude Changes After Near-Death Experiences The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease March 29, 2022
- This is your brain on death: a comparative analysis of a near-death experience and subsequent 5-Methoxy-DMT experience. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Nurse Who Had MERS-CoV Complications with A Near-Death Experience during Pregnancy: A Narrative Analysis. Healthcare January 24, 2024
and 1 more in the library
Cites 10
- Neural correlates of the psychedelic state as determined by fMRI studies with psilocybin Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences January 23, 2012
- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
- Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands The Lancet December 1, 2001
- The Psychedelic State Induced by Ayahuasca Modulates the Activity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network PLoS One February 18, 2015
- The Near-Death Experience Scale The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease June 1, 1983
and 5 more in the library