Meningitis – Bacterial Infections

Transcript

The second most common cause of meningitis is infection with a bacteria. Various bacteria can invade into the central nervous system and cause massive inflammation. Typically bacterial meningitis is more severe than viral meningitis. The symptoms are similar, including neck pain, fever, nausea, vomiting, and headache. However, with bacterial meningitis, the fever is often higher than in viral meningitis. Bacterial meningitis in all cases is a medical emergency. If someone develops a high fever, severe headache, nausea, and vomiting with neck stiffness, they should seek medical attention immediately. Bacterial meningitis is often treated before the exact organism is identified. Usually a spinal tap is needed to identify the organism because it cannot be detected in blood. However, because it is a medical emergency, treatment is not delayed. All cases of bacterial meningitis, unlike viral meningitis, are treated with antibiotics, typically a broad spectrum antibiotic which covers many types of bacteria which commonly cause meningitis is started.

This is started immediately when bacterial meningitis is suspected. Corticosteroids like dexamethazone may also be started because there is such massive inflammation associated with the infection. This inflammation can cause hearing loss as well as inflammation of arteries and stroke. The addition of corticosteroids can help minimize these complications. The bacterial meningitis hospitalization is usually required for continuation of antibiotics. Once the actual organism is identified as well as its sensitivities to specific antibiotics, then the antibiotic regimen could be narrowed to treat that specific bacteria. Again, most people with bacterial meningitis make a full recovery. The key issue with treating bacterial meningitis is not to delay therapy. Typically a lumbar puncture is done, which shows increased inflammation in the spinal fluid. The organism can take 24 to 48 hours to identify, but treatment is started immediately after the lumbar puncture is completed. Other supportive treatment, including IV fluids as well as medication to treat headache and fever, are given. One particular bacterial infection, meningococcus, can cause severe rash. Typically patients with bacterial meningitis are isolated until they’ve received at least 24 hours of antibiotics. Fortunately, most cases of bacterial meningitis are very treatable and people make a full recovery.