The Pathophysiology Of Bacterial Meningitis

Meningitis is potentially fatal and should always be viewed as a medical emergency. Admission to a hospital or health center is absolutely necessary. After the lumbar puncture has been carried out, antimicrobial therapy must be commenced as soon as possible. There may be difficulty to growing the bacteria from the spinal fluid and confirming the diagnosis, if started before the lumbar puncture. A range of antibiotics used for treatment include penicillin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol, and ceftriaxone. (WHO, 2004) It can be treated with a number of effective antibiotics. However, it is very important that treatment be started early in the course of the disease. Appropriate antibiotic treatment

“The particular form of meningitis called Meningococcal Meningitis is an infection that affects the brain and the spinal cord” (Meningococcal meningitis, 2015). “There is a thin lining that surrounds the brain and when Meningococcal Meningitis is present then this lining is affected” (Meningococcal meningitis, 2015). This infection is considered so dangerous because both the spinal cord and the brain are extremely important parts of the human body. “Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis, a serious infection of the meninges that affects the brain membrane. It can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50% of cases if untreated” (Meningococcal meningitis, 2015). As stated, the brain damage that can occur due to the bacteria can cause death in the worst cases. “There are different kinds of bacteria that can be the cause of meningitis but Neisseria Meningitidis has the largest chance of causing a big epidemic” (Meningococcal Disease, 2015).

Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of meningitis. Approximately 80% of all meningitis associated cases are bacterial, the disease is the critical reason for increasing morbidity rates in young children under the age group of one year. In the last 20 years (1991–2010) close to one million suspected meningitis cases were reported in the UK and in the US. [8] [5] The ‘meninges’ is the name for the three membranes that envelope the brain and cord (the central nervous system). Bacterial meningitis is caused by three different bacteria’s: Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitidis, and the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The bacteria spreads across the spinal cord and optic nerves, within the bacteria it 's fluid contents, the cerebrospinal fluid. The excessive manifestation of bacteria and their toxins within these areas, results in an inflammation of the cranial or spinal structures. This inflammation will consequence in severe damage to the nervous system and brain structures unless treated. Due to the nature of the meninges and the cerebrospinal fluid, an infection of any area of the system can rapidly spread to the rest of the system In this review I will discuss the epidemiology and pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis in young children and its subsequent clinical diagnosis of effective vaccines.[2]

Meningitis and steroids can become major issues. There are many different types of meningitis and steroids. Some different types of meningitis are viral and bacterial, fungal, parasitic and noninfectious meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is a potential life threatening of the disease that can cause problems with the brain including possible death if not properly treated, this occurs when bacteria gets into the blood stream. Viral meningitis is more common than bacterial but it is more sever. It is caused by enteroviruses like measles, mumps or chicken pox. Parasitic meningitis is more involved with brain infection.

Bacterial meningitis is a gram-negative meningitis diplococcal bacterium. There are several bacteria types that can cause meningitis, which include Streptococcus pneumoniae (the most common cause), Groupe B Streptococcus, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Listeria monocytogenes. The meningitis does not live long on surfaces outside the host but has shown to live longer on glass surfaces compared to plastic. Approximately five percent to twenty-five percent of carriers will move around without symptoms or becoming sick. Studies have shown roughly eight hundred to fifteen hundred people a year will be diagnosed yearly with roughly one hundred to

Prognosis wise, early treatment dramatically increases survival rates; as statistics disclose that 10-15% of Meningococcal victims die – with reports adamant that young children and adults over 50 have an increased chance of death (NMA, 2014). Medical attention must be sort to immediately as soon as Meningococcal symptoms arise so that blood samples can be made. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that “diagnosis is usually made by growing bacteria from a sample of blood or spinal fluid” – the Lumbar puncture technique. If the bacterium is found in samples, antibiotics are usually a preliminary option of treatment. Antibiotics, which are not usually employed to viral or fungal infections, aim to deter the impact of bacterial infections (Illinois Department of Public Health, 2007). Vaccinations of Meningococcal are dependent on its comparative strain; there are 13 strains of Meningococcal globally. In Australia the most prominent is strain B. B vaccine Bexsero is prescribed to combat the effects of Meningococcal but is also used a preventative measure for immunisation purposes (Australian Department of Health, 2015). However, the B vaccine Bexsero and other antibiotics may prove to be ineffective if administered after the pathogens have damaged the brain and spinal cord (CDC, 2015). Conversely, prevention is far more straight forward: avoid

Most meningitis is caused by bacteria and viruses that often live in our bodies. Usually these germs stay in the intestines or in the nose and throat, where they may or may not make us sick. But if they spread to the tissues that surround the brain and spinal cord, they cause inflammation. Meningitis is an infection that causes the protective membranes of the nervous system to swell. Inflammation of the brain and spinal cord can affect every part of your body. Fever and other symptoms can come on suddenly and progress very quickly, causing devastating effects.The most common causes of meningitis are viral infections. These infections usually get better without treatment. But, bacterial meningitis infections are very serious. They may result in death or brain damage,

An eight year-old Hispanic girl arrives at the UF health emergency room with a stiff neck, vomiting, and seizures. Her sister, who brought her in, informs the doctor about the recent activities the girl has been involved in. She tells them that in the last 2 days, they have been going for a swim in the lake by their house since it is the summer time. She then continues and tells them that the evening after going for a swim, her little sister had been fussing about a throbbing head ache and sudden loss of taste. Ultimately, they brought her in after the girl experienced a small seizure. The doctor on call suggested that the signs and symptoms presented paralleled acute bacterial meningitis.

Meningitis occurs when the meninges (a thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord) shows inflammation (swelling). The meninges consist of three layers. They are the dura, arachnoid, and pia. The inflammation is caused by an infection that has penetrated the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. When this occurs the brain is now venerable to attack by bacteria, viruses, and others. As a result of these attack, the brain could have sustained damage which cannot be repaired. The inflammation in an enclosed space such as inside the skull or spinal also damages or kills healthy cells. There are five different types of meningitis. Those five types are viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and non-infectious. Viral and bacterial are the two most common type of meningitis. This paper is about one type of bacterial meningitis called meningococcal meningitis. Meningococcal meningitis is caused by a Neisseria meningitides also called meningococcus, which is a bacterium. Meningococcal meningitis is terminal if left untreated it can cause severe brain damage and about half of the time death would occur but with proper treatment potential and severe complications or even death could still be the outcome. Analyzing the etiology, transmission, symptoms, diagnosing, treatment, and prevention of meningococcal meningitis.

Meningitis is viewed as an inflammation of the spinal cord or primarily the brain that was caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites, fungi, or toxins (Huether, S., 2012). Meningitis can be minor, mid acute, or chronic with the pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, and treatment (Huether, S., 2012). Bacterial meningitis are primarily placed to attack by an infection is in the Pia mater and the arachnoid (Huether, S., 2012). The Pia mater and the arachnoid are located in the innermost layer of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The cause and symptoms are the main scare of bacterial meningitis because it can be easily spread from person to person and have symptoms just like a common cold. Bacteria meningitis can

The four most common causes of bacterial meningitis come from Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitides, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), and Listeria monocytogenes.

Meningitis is a severe condition in which the membranes which cover the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. Aseptic meningitis mostly occurs in infants and young children. Patient might feel ill but the feeling is milder than bacterial meningitis. In rare cases this disease leads to serious complications. 50% of all aseptic meningitis is caused by seasonal viruses, usually transmitted by cough, saliva or waste matter. Some of the viruses that cause meningitis are; chicken pox, HIV, mumps, herpes simplex, west Nile, rabies. Doctors may not be able to identify the specific virus which is responsible for the outbreak of this disease. Some other conditions such as Fungal Infection, Syphilis, Lyme disease,

Many people have heard about meningitis but they are not exactly sure what it is. According to the Center for Disease Control, Meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is most common in children although, it can attack people of all ages. In 1805, “ Vieusseux first discovered Meningococcal meningitis during an outbreak in Switzerland, though it wasn’t until 1887 that the causative agent was identified by Anton Weichselbaum” (Manchanda 2006). The name given to it was Neisseria intracellularis due to the nature of the intracellular oval micrococci of the organism. The disease was fatal in 70 percent of the cases before the 1920s. There are over 10 different serotypes that cause infection. Common causes of meningitis vary by strain and age groups.

There are many different types of meningitis such as fungal, bacterial, viral, parasitic, and non-infectious. The most common types of meningitis are viral and bacterial meningitis. Viral meningitis is caused by viral infections in the layers of tissues that covers the meninges. The symptoms of viral meningitis usually are headaches, muscle aches, stiff neck, and the general feeling of being sick. Bacterial meningitis is caused by bacteria in the environment that enters the bloodstream and eventually travels to the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of bacterial meningitis includes high fever, headaches, confusion, increased drowsiness and stiffness in neck. If bacterial meningitis is serious and life threating you may have seizures and strokes.

Meningococcemia is caused by a gram negative bacteria which infects the bloodstream and the brain if severe enough, and is caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacterium. There are two forms of this illness: Meningococcal Meningitis, which occurs when the meninges become infected and swell; and Meningococcal Septicemia, occurs when the bacteria multiply in the bloodstream causing damage to the blood vessels, causing internal bleeding. Septicemia is the more serious form. Individuals at risk include people in daycare, cellmates, housemates, and especially those with a compromised immune system. There are vaccination for this disease, and are recommended if you are immunocompromised or live in areas where it is common, like in Africa. This disease isn’t very common in the United States, but it is still prevalent so good hygiene and avoiding sick individuals is necessary to stay healthy. When someone is infected though, an early diagnosis is critical to their survival, for the mortality rate is high, and the progression of this disease is extremely rapid, some people may die within hours of contracting it. Even if the infected person does survive, the person may have very serious physical and mental complications due to hemorrhaging of the blood vessels and damaged brain tissue.