1. 1. Additional work-up is indicated, including but not limited to electrolytes with renal function studies, cardiac markers, and electrocardiogram (EKG). However, administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) should not be delayed to obtain these additional tests.
   
2. 2. Contraindications to intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV r-TPA) in the 3- to 4.5-hour window: age > 80 years, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) > 25, taking an oral anticoagulant regardless of international normalized ratio (INR), history of both diabetes, and prior ischemic stroke.
   
3. 3. Relative contraindications to IV tPA: age < 18 years, systolic blood pressure (SBP) > 185 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) > 110 mm Hg, blood glucose (BG) < 50, INR > 1.7, platelets < 100,000/mm³, low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) within 24 hours, novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) use within 48 hours, active internal bleeding, previous/recent intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), severe head trauma within 3 months, recent intracranial or intraspinal surgery (within 3 months), computed tomography (CT) showing hypodensity > 1/3 of the cerebral hemisphere.
   
4. 4. IV r-tPA dose: 0.9 mg/kg (maximum dose of 90 mg); 10% as a bolus and the remainder infused over 1 hour.
   
5. 5. Patients eligible for IV tPA should receive IV tPA even if endovascular treatment is being considered.

Meningitis, encephalitis, neuro ICU care of meningitis.

Treatment starts with the empiric antibiotics (ceftriaxone, vancomycin, ampicillin, metronidazole, acyclovir).

Current guidelines for the management of increased intracranial pressure (ICP) recommend maintaining an ICP < 20 mm Hg as well as maintaining a cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) between 50 and 70 mm Hg, depending on the status of cerebral pressure autoregulation. In general, patients with increased ICP should be mechanically ventilated with adequate sedation and analgesia. Ventilator settings should be adjusted to maintain normocapnia; prophylactic hyperventilation is not recommended, although brief periods of mild hyperventilation (PaCO₂ 30 to 35 mm Hg) can be used to treat acute neurological deterioration caused by increased ICP.

Core body temperature should be maintained at normothermia to slight hypothermia (36.5 to 37 °C). The mainstay of medical management of increased ICP is osmotic therapy, including administration of mannitol and hypertonic saline. Mannitol 20% is given as an intravenous bolus of 0.25 to1 g/kg. This can be repeated as needed for sustained elevations in ICP if serum osmolality is less than 330 milliosmoles (mOsm). Mannitol must be used cautiously, because the subsequent osmotic diuresis can lead to hypovolemia, decreased cardiac preload, and hypotension, which could compromise CPP, lead to vasodilation, and increase ICP again. Hypertonic saline may be used instead of mannitol. Dosing includes a 30-mL bolus of 23.4% solution via a central line. Alternatively, a 250-mL bolus of 3% solution (also through a central line) or 2% solution (through a peripheral line) can be given followed by a continuous infusion at the rate of 30 to 150 mL/hr. The target serum sodium is between 150 and 160 mEq/L.

An essential step of a raised ICP management is offering neurosurgical interventions if indicated. It depends on the lesion, but this includes external ventricular drain placement, which can be diagnostic and therapeutic (measures ICP and drains cerebrospinal fluid volume to reduce ICP), craniotomy, and mass lesion resection (e.g., intracranial hemorrhage or brain tumor).

The patient, or more commonly, family members, need to be informed as to course and prognosis as it develops within limits of legal disclosure and to help facilitate care planning.