BACTERIAL MENINGITIS

Disease information

BACTERIAL MENINGITIS

Bacterial Meningitis.

Bacterial infection of the membranes that cover the brain and the spinal marrow (meninges)

It can appear to all the ages but they are more frequent in children and old.

Factors of risk.

New born and smaller of two years.

Greater of 65 years.

Diseases that diminish the resistance (AIDS, cancers)

Malnutrición.

Alcohol abuse.

Prevention Diagnosis and treatment.

To avoid contact with patients (difficult, many people are carrying, mainly of meningococo, in their nose without being ill)

To be vaccinated (there are vaccines against some stocks of meningococo and hemófilus)

The people who are been in intimate contact (familiar convivientes, classmates) with a case of meningitis by Meningococo, can receive one quimioprofilaxis, consisting of prevention a treatment of short duration (three days) with an antibiotic (Rifampicina) to avoid that she pledges the disease in them.

Complications.

Diagnosis.

Analisis and cultures of:

blood,

throat,

nose, and.

cefalorraquídeo liquid (the one that bathes the brain and the spinal marrow, is obtained by means of lumbar punción)

Imaginería of the head:

Scanner (TAC)

Resonance (RMN) and.

X - rayses (these also of the lung)

Treatment.

Hospitalization in a unit of intensive cares.

Treatment of coexisting diseases.

Isolation until total recovery.

Intravenous antibiotics.

Prognosis.

Cerebral death or serious complications, like:

paralysis,

loss of hearing,

difficulties in the speech and.

intellectual delay,

if one does not treat on time.

If they do not appear complications the total recovery it produces to 2 - 3 weeks.

Causes.

Several species of bacterium can cause it.

But of between all of them only three species they include 80% of the cases:

Meningococo (Neisseriae Meningitides)

Hemofilus influenza B type (Haemophillus Influenzae)

Neumococo (Streptococus Pneumoniae)

The front door usually is through the nose, ear, throat, lungs or skin.

Also the bacterium by direct entrance can introduce itself, through a wound in the head.

Signs and symptoms.

Fever, perspiration and general malaise.

Headache.

Irritability.

Sensitivity or fotofobia to the light.

Pupils of different size.

Pain and rigidity of nape of the neck.

Nauseas and vomits in escopetazo (sudden, strong) They are rare.

Confusion and lethargy.

Respiratory symptoms in some cases.

Appearance, in the case of meningocócica meningitis, hemorrágicos small points in the skin.

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