There are various types of meningococcal meningitis, which are named with letters of the alphabet, for example, meningitis a. Several types of bacteria can first cause an upper respiratory tract infection and then travel through the bloodstream to the brain. Meningitis is an acute inflammation o the pertective membranes coverin the harn and spinal cord, kent collectively as the meninges. Can people with meningitis pass the illness to others. In bacterial meningitis, glucose transport from the blood into the csf is impaired. Meningitis and encephalitis fact sheet national institute. Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a persons spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain.
Haemophilus influenzae type b hib vaccine is recommended as part of the national immunisation program and is available free for all children at 6 weeks, 4 months, 6 months and 12 months of age and is administered in a combination vaccine. Bacterial meningitis also remains a significant probbacterial meningitis remains a relatively common and lemin otherparts oftheworld. Pdf pathophysiology of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia. Monitor temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate 4 hourly 3. The role of caspase casp1 in the pathophysiology of pneumococcal meningitis has been the subject of recent experiments. Meningitis and meningitis vaccine information what is meningococcal meningitis. In children, tuberculous meningitis occurs during primary infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, including the pia, arachnoid, and subarachnoid space, that occurs in response to infection with bacteria andor bacterial products. Most cases of acute meningitis are infectious and result from a potentially wide range of bacterial and viral pathogens. Most children with viral meningitis recover completely. Meningitis is an inflammation of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord that can be caused by several different types of, as well as viruses and fungibacteria. Practice guidelines for the management of bacterial meningitis. The commonest organisms causing bacterial meningitis in children over 2 months of age are. Viral meningitis, also called aseptic meningitis, is much more common than bacterial meningitis. Pathophysiology of bacterial meningitis international journal of. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes meninges surrounding your brain and spinal cord. As a result of immunisations hib meningitis is now rare and there has been a reduction in the incidence of pneumococcal meningitis. Meningitis and lumbar puncture free download as powerpoint presentation. Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis.
The clinical presentation is vague, due to the immaturity of cns in infants and children. Bacterial meningitis also produces effects on blood vessels in the subarachnoid space with resulting vasculitis, vessel narrowing, thrombosis, and ischemia or infarction of the brain. Pathophysiology of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia. However, permanent disabilities such as brain damage, hearing loss, and learning disabilities can result from the infection.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Unequivocal descriptions of meningitis date to the seventeenth century, 1 and tuberculous meningitis and syphilitic meningitis have been known as discreet entities for nearly as long. If a case of bacterial meningitis is identified in the campus community, our local. Fluid restriction not recommended for children with bacterial meningitis except in. Bacterial meningitis is the most serious type of meningitis.
Study of bacterial meningitis in children below 5 years with. There is also increased anaerobic glycolysis by leukocytes and brain cells. Most cases of meningitis in the united states are caused by a viral infection, but bacterial, parasitic and fungal infections are other causes. Over recent decades new vaccines have led to a change in epidemiology of the disease. Pathophysiology and treatment of bacterial meningitis ncbi. Pathogenesis and pathophysiology of bacterial meningitis. Tuberculous meningitis presents as either a subacute or a chronic meningitis, characterized by fever, headache, night sweats, and malaise, or a fulminant meningoencephalitis with coma, raised intracranial pressure, seizure activity, and stroke. Some forms of bacterial meningitis can be prevented by vaccination. Diagnosis, initial management, and prevention of meningitis. Pathophysiology of acute meningitis caused by streptococcus pneumoniae and adjunctive therapy approaches. Distinguishing between viral and bacterial meningitis is done using blood and csf cultures, as well as lumbar puncture opening pressure which. Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, in particular the arachnoid and the pia mater, associated with the invasion of bacteria into the subarachnoid space, principles known for more than 100 years flexner, 1907. In patients with suspected herpes simplex virus hsv infection, empiric antiviral therapy is started to prevent complications of hsv encephalitis.
Meningitis has long been known as a clinical disorder. The classic triad of bacterial meningitis consists of the following. Beside bacteria, viruses, fungi and noninfectious causes as in systemic and neoplastic disease as well as certain drugs can induce meningeal inflammation. Neisseria meningitidis agent information sheet research support. This is normally caused by infection but can also have noninfectious causes. Organisms to consider in infants less than 2 months of age include those listed above and the following. Neisseria meningitidis is a gramnegative, nonspore forming, nonmotile, encapsulated, and nonacidfast diplococci, which appears in kidney bean shape under the microscope.
The r ole of caspase casp1 in the pathophysiology of pneu mococcal meningitis has been the subject of recent experiments. Another cause of meningitis is a bacterial infection called meningococcal meningitis. The most common are viruses and bacteria which account for the majority of cases. Bacterial meningitis is very serious and can be deadly. A hallmark of bacterial meningitis is the recruitment of highly activated leukocytes into the csf. Even survivors can have severe consequences including varying degrees of blindness, deafness, paralysis and mental retardation. Casp1 plays a central role in the generation of mature il1. Suspected cases of meningitis require immediate medical attention. Aseptic meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges, a membrane covering the brain and spinal cord in patients whose cerebral spinal fluid test result is negative with routine bacterial cultures.
Additionally, ventilator assistance, kidney dialysis or other supportive treatments may be needed. It causes the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed. Sep 20, 2012 paediatric bacterial meningitis is a neurological emergency which, despite advances in medical management, still has a significant morbidity and mortality. Meningococcal meningitis is caused by the bacteria neisseria meningitidis, and. Viral meningitis is a virusborne inflammation of the meninges, which are the. Endemic meningitis is relatively unusual in developed countries. Aseptic meningitis has a number of infectious and noninfectious causes. Diagnosis and management of bacterial meningitis in the. Meningococcal disease, which includes meningitis, is a serious bacterial infection that strikes between and 2600 americans each year. Meningitis and lumbar puncture meningitis cerebrospinal fluid. The peripheral white blood cell count alone is not help. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. A young survivor of meningitis is now active in a campaign to raise awareness of the meningitis vaccine. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain.
Find out about viral meningitis, the types of bacterial meningitis and the rarer types of meningitis such as chemical and fungal meningitis and the support we offer. Most cases of meningitis result from infections that are contagious. Systemic lupus erythematosus lupus certain medicines. This page describes some of thing things that can cause meningitis that do not spread from one person to another noninfectious. A group of viruses called enteroviruses is the most common cause of viral meningitis. These germs usually cause everyday illness, such as an ear infection or pneumonia.
Aseptic meningitis is the clinical syndrome of meningeal inflammation with negative cultures for routine bacterial pathogens in a patient who did not receive antibiotics before lumbar puncture. Some children with meningitis may have longterm problems, but this depends on the cause of the infection and the age of the child. These viruses are found in the throat and feces stool of infected people. Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity. Best effect if steroid dexamethasone is given before or with first antibiotic dose 2. Its typically mild and goes away without treatment. This guideline covers recognising, diagnosing and managing bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia blood poisoning in babies, children and young people under 16. Meningitis occurs when the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. The organized approach to the patient with suspected meningitis enables the prompt administration of. Bacterial meningitis results from the haematogenous dissemination of microorganisms from a distant site of infection. Meningitis can be caused by infection from viruses and bacteria germs. Csf outflow resistance is elevated and inhibits csf flow from the subarachnoid space to the dural sinuses.
A prospective study of etiology of childhood acute bacterial. Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection. Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Tuberculous meningitis indiana university school of medicine.
Expert opinion and several societal guidelines recommend routine treatment. The disease can also occur when certain bacteria invade the meninges directly. Scribd is the worlds largest social reading and publishing site. Bacterial meningitis is a rare but potentially fatal disease. Pathophysiology and treatment of bacterial meningitis. Learn more about how you get meningitis, its symptoms, and how its treated at webmd. Pdf no bacterial disease has undergone a more dramatic change in epidemiology during the past decade than acute bacterial meningitis. There are thirteen types serogroups of neisseria meningitidis, nine of which cause invasive disease. In general, meningitis due to bacteria bacterial meningitis is more severe than meningitis caused by viruses viral meningitis. It aims to reduce deaths and disability by promoting early recognition of symptoms and timely effective management. Although rare, meningococcal disease can cause meningitis swelling of the brain or spinal cord or meningococcemia blood. Practice guidelines for bacterial meningitis cid 2004. It is not known why one person gets meningitis when others exposed to the same germs do not get as sick, or dont get sick at all. Meningitis about bacterial meningitis infection cdc.