Dexamethasone
Treatment for Meningitis
Typical Dosage: 0.15 mg/kg IV every 6 hours
Effectiveness
75%
Safety Score
50%
Clinical Trials
11
Participants
20K
Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)
Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
50
DangerousModerateSafe
Treatment Details
Dosage Range
0.15 mg/kg IV every 6 hours
Time to Effect
immediate
Treatment Duration
2-4 days
Evidence Quality
HIGHNumber Needed to Treat (NNT)
15(Treat 15 patients to see 1 additional successful outcome)
Confidence Score
90%confidence in effectiveness data
Health Economics
Annual Cost of Care
Drug Cost:$75
Monitoring:$200
Side Effect Mgmt:$100
Total Annual:$375
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Cost-Effectiveness Rating
EXCELLENTICER
$15,000/QALY
QALYs Gained
0.15
Outcome-Based Costs
Cost per Responder
$500
Cost per Remission
$536
Dexamethasone Outcomes
for Meningitis
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+75%
Response Rate
+75%
Remission Rate
+70%
Common Side Effects
Hyperglycemia
+15%
GI upset/bleeding
+7%
Mood changes
+5%
Sources:
Active Clinical Trials
2 active trials recruiting for Dexamethasone in Meningitis
Intensified Short Course Regimen for TBM in Adults
NCT05917340NOT YET RECRUITINGPHASE3
372 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Chennai, India
Started: Mar 1, 2024
Adjunctive Doxycycline for Central Nervous System Tuberculosis
NCT06446245RECRUITINGPHASE2
200 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Medan, Indonesia +4 more
Started: Aug 21, 2025
Completed Clinical Trials
8 completed trials for Dexamethasone in Meningitis
Vancomycin Concentration in Cerebrospinal Fluid During Pneumococcal Meningitis
NCT00162578COMPLETED
14 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
Colombes, France +2 more
Started: Dec 1, 2002
Leukotriene A4 Hydrolase Stratified Trial of Adjunctive Corticosteroids for HIV-uninfected Adults With Tuberculous Meningitis
NCT03100786COMPLETEDPHASE3
702 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam +2 more
Started: Feb 12, 2018
Dexamethasone in Cryptococcal Meningitis
NCT00000776COMPLETEDPHASE2
36 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Birmingham, United States +13 more
Study Of The Long Term Outcome Of Tuberculous Meningitis In Vietnamese Adults Treated With Adjunctive Dexamethasone
NCT01317654COMPLETED
340 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
Started: Apr 1, 2006
Adjunctive Corticosteroids for Tuberculous Meningitis in HIV-infected Adults (The ACT HIV Trial)
NCT03092817COMPLETEDPHASE3
520 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Jakarta, Indonesia +5 more
Started: May 25, 2017
Intrathecal Therapy for Adult Tuberculous Meningitis: Impact on Clinical Outcomes
NCT06811792COMPLETED
837 participants
OBSERVATIONAL
Started: Jan 1, 2010
Linezolid, Aspirin and Enhanced Dose Rifampicin in HIV-TBM
NCT03927313COMPLETEDPHASE2
52 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Port Elizabeth, South Africa +3 more
Started: Jun 12, 2019
High-dose Rifampicin for the Treatment of Tuberculous Meningitis: a Dose-finding Study
NCT02169882COMPLETEDPHASE2, PHASE3
60 participants
INTERVENTIONAL
Bandung, Indonesia
Started: Dec 1, 2014