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Meningitis

Meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, often caused by infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, and can be fatal requiring immediate medical attention. The classic symptoms include fever, neck stiffness, and altered mental status, with additional signs varying by age group. Key bacterial causes include Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae, which are responsible for a significant number of meningitis-related deaths globally.

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14 views2 pages

Meningitis

Meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, often caused by infections from bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, and can be fatal requiring immediate medical attention. The classic symptoms include fever, neck stiffness, and altered mental status, with additional signs varying by age group. Key bacterial causes include Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae, which are responsible for a significant number of meningitis-related deaths globally.

Uploaded by

ammartahir235
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

It is usually
caused by infection. It can be fatal and requires immediate medical care.
Meningitis can be caused by several species of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Most
infections can be transmitted from person to person.

Types:
Bacterial meningitis.
Viral meningitis.
Fungal meningitis.
Parasitic meningitis. Meningitis caused by certain parasites is called eosinophilic meningitis or
eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EM).
Primary Amebic Meningitis (PAM). Meningitis can be caused by the ameba Naegleria fowleri.
Drug-induced aseptic meningitis (DIAM). Rarely, certain medications cause drug-induced
aseptic meningitis (DIAM). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) and antibiotics are
the most common causes of DIAM.
Chronic meningitis. When meningitis has lasted a month or more, it’s called chronic meningitis.
Acute meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is often acute, meaning that symptoms are severe and
come on suddenly.

Causes:
There are four main causes of acute bacterial meningitis:
Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
Haemophilus influenzae
Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus)
These bacteria are responsible for more than half of the deaths from meningitis globally and they
cause other severe diseases like sepsis and pneumonia.
Other bacteria e.g., Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Salmonella, Listeria, Streptococcus and
Staphylococcus, viruses such as enteroviruses and mumps, fungi, especially Cryptococcus, and
parasites like Amoeba are also important causes of meningitis.

Sign and symptom:


Classic Triad (Adults)
Fever
Neck stiffness (nuchal rigidity)
Altered mental status
However, not all patients present with all three.
 Neck stiffness.
 Nausea or vomiting.
 Sensitivity to light (photophobia).
 Confusion or altered mental state.
 Lack of energy (lethargy), extreme sleepiness or trouble waking up.
 Lack of appetite.
 Small round spots that look like a rash (petechiae).

Neurological Signs:
Kernig’s Sign: Pain and resistance when extending the knee while the hip is flexed.
Brudzinski’s Sign: Involuntary lifting of the legs when flexing the neck.
Cranial nerve palsies: Can be present in some cases, such as diplopia or facial weakness.

Meningitis signs and symptoms in babies:


 Bulging “soft spot” (fontanelle) on baby’s head.
 Poor eating.
 Sleepiness or trouble waking up from sleep.
 Low energy or slower responses (lethargy).

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