[Use of mannitol and dexamethasone in the management of acute cerebral edema of infectious origin].

The study included 22 patients with meningoencephalitis and hypertensive cranial syndrome from cerebral edema. Mannitol was given to 13 cases and dexamethasone to 9. There were three therapeutic failures in the group given mannitol and none in that of dexamethasone (p greater than 0.05). Both drugs showed similar effect in the duration of the hypertensive cranial syndrome (39-44 hrs). Patients treated with mannitol showed hyponatremia after 48 hours. No untoward effects appeared in patients given dexamethasone.