Trust your instincts. Someone who has meningitis or septicaemia could become seriously ill very quickly. Get medical help immediately if you suspect meningitis or septicaemia - it's a race against time.
Click here for more information. But if they are already ill and get a new rash or spots, use the Tumbler Test. Press a clear glass tumbler firmly against the rash. If you can see the marks clearly through the glass seek urgent medical help immediately. Check the entire body. Look out for tiny red or brown pin-prick marks which can change into larger red or purple blotches and blood blisters.
The darker the skin the harder it is to see a septicaemic rash so check lighter areas like the palms of hands and soles of feet or look inside the eyelids and the roof of the mouth. Remember, a very ill person needs medical help even if there are only a few spots, a rash or no rash at all. The MRF Membership and Support team are here for you for any questions you might have about meningitis and septicaemia and their effects on you, or your family and friends.
For a definitive diagnosis of meningitis, you'll need a spinal tap to collect cerebrospinal fluid CSF. In people with meningitis, the CSF often shows a low sugar glucose level along with an increased white blood cell count and increased protein. When should I worry about meningitis? When Should I Call the Doctor? Get medical care right away if you think that your child has meningitis or you see symptoms such as vomiting, headache, tiredness or confusion, neck stiffness, rash, and fever.
A baby who has a fever, is irritable, and isn't feeding well also should be seen right away by a doctor. How stiff is your neck with meningitis? Your doctor may also look for two specific signs of a meningitis infection: Brudzinski's sign: Your doctor will pull your neck forward slowly. Neck stiffness and involuntary bending of the knees and hips can indicate meningitis.
Intense pain in your back or thigh can indicate meningitis. What does a meningitis headache feel like? The symptoms of both viral and bacterial meningitis are similar.
Usually headache is the predominant symptom, but fever is also usually present and the neck is stiff. Bending the neck forward greatly aggravates the pain. The headache is generalized all over the head. Can you have mild meningitis?
Common symptoms in children and adults Most people with mild viral meningitis usually get better on their own within 7 to 10 days. However, bacterial meningitis is usually severe and can cause serious complications, such as brain damage, hearing loss, or learning disabilities. Related neurological signs depend on which part of the brain is affected by the encephalitic process as some of these are quite localized while others are more widespread.
Meningitis often appears with flu-like symptoms that develop over days. Distinctive rashes are typically seen in some forms of the disease. Meningococcal meningitis may be associated with kidney and adrenal gland failure and shock. Individuals with encephalitis often show mild flu-like symptoms. In more severe cases, people may experience problems with speech or hearing, double vision, hallucinations, personality changes, and loss of consciousness. Other severe complications include loss of sensation in some parts of the body, muscle weakness, partial paralysis in the arms and legs, impaired judgment, seizures, and memory loss.
Following a physical exam and medical history to review activities of the past several days or weeks such as recent exposure to insects, ticks or animals, any contact with ill persons, or recent travel; preexisting medical conditions and medications , the doctor may order various diagnostic tests to confirm the presence of infection or inflammation.
Brain imaging can reveal signs of brain inflammation, internal bleeding or hemorrhage, or other brain abnormalities.
Two painless, noninvasive imaging procedures are routinely used to diagnose meningitis and encephalitis. Additionally, electroencephalography, or EEG, can identify abnormal brain waves by monitoring electrical activity in the brain noninvasively through the skull. People who are suspected of having meningitis or encephalitis should receive immediate, aggressive medical treatment. Both diseases can progress quickly and have the potential to cause severe, irreversible neurological damage.
Early treatment of bacterial meningitis involves antibiotics that can cross the blood-brain barrier a lining of cells that keeps harmful micro-organisms and chemicals from entering the brain. Appropriate antibiotic treatment for most types of meningitis can greatly reduce the risk of dying from the disease.
Anticonvulsants to prevent seizures and corticosteroids to reduce brain inflammation may be prescribed. Infected sinuses may need to be drained. Corticosteroids such as prednisone may be ordered to relieve brain pressure and swelling and to prevent hearing loss that is common in Haemophilus influenza meningitis.
Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. Antibiotics, developed to kill bacteria, are not effective against viruses. Fortunately, viral meningitis is rarely life threatening and no specific treatment is needed. Fungal meningitis is treated with intravenous antifungal medications. Antiviral drugs used to treat viral encephalitis include acyclovir and ganciclovir. For most encephalitis-causing viruses, no specific treatment is available.
Autoimmune causes of encephalitis are treated with additional immunosuppressant drugs and screening for underlying tumors when appropriate. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a non-infectious inflammatory brain disease mostly seen in children, is treated with steroids.
Anticonvulsants may be prescribed to stop or prevent seizures. Corticosteroids can reduce brain swelling. Affected individuals with breathing difficulties may require artificial respiration. Once the acute illness is under control, comprehensive rehabilitation should include cognitive rehabilitation and physical, speech, and occupational therapy. People should avoid sharing food, utensils, glasses, and other objects with someone who may be exposed to or have the infection.
Accessed Sept. Bacterial meningitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bartt R. Acute bacterial and viral meningitis. Continuum Lifelong Learning in Neurology. Viral meningitis. Fungal meningitis. Derber CJ, et al. Head and neck emergencies: Bacterial meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, upper airway obstruction, and jugular septic thrombophlebitis. Medical Clinics of North America. Longo DL, et al. Acute meningitis. In: Harrison's Principals of Internal Medicine.
McGraw Hill; Acute bacterial meningitis. Merck Manual Professional Version. Prevention — Listeriosis. Subacute and chronic meningitis. Van de Beek D, et al. Advances in treatment of bacterial meningitis. The Lancet. Recommended immunization schedules for children and adolescents aged 18 years or younger, United States, Recommended adult immunization schedule for adults aged 19 or older, United States, Meningococcal vaccination: What everyone should know.
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