Meningitis after cochlear implantation: the risk is low, and preventive measures can reduce this further

© BMJ Publishing Group Ltd 2007. This is a publisher's version of an article published in the British Medical Journal 2007 published by BMJ Publishing Group. This version is reproduced under the journal's author licence agreement. http://www.bmj.com/Since the 1980s, more than 80 000 people have received cochlear implants worldwide. These implants are designed to enable people who are severely or profoundly deaf to experience sound and speech. Since 1990, implantation has become standard treatment for people who cannot communicate effectively despite well fitted hearing aids. Children who are deaf when they are born can perceive sound and learn to speak if they receive cochlear implants at a young age (ideally under 18 months). The use of cochlear implants has been thought to be safe. But since 2002 the number of patients with meningitis related to cochlear implantation has increased worldwide. Mortality and neurological complications after meningitis are high. We need to investigate the reasons for this and look at measures to reduce them