This includes rest, fluids, and feverreducing medicine. Epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in the usa from 1997. High cranial pressure, nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to lightphotophobia, and altered mental status confusion. Meningitis lab manual storage and shipping of neisseria cdc. Laboratory methods for the diagnosis of meningitis caused by neisseria meningitidis, streptococcus pneumoniae, and haemophilus influenzae. Bacterial meningitis, an infectious disease characterized by infection and. Viral meningitis, in contrast, tends to resolve spontaneously and is rarely fatal. S pneumoniae, neisseria meningitidis, haemophilus influenzae, staphylococcus species, and gramnegative bacteria. Incidence of admittance to hospital due to bacterial meningitis was available in the nis for 50 822 cases reported from 1997 to 2010 for five of the most commonly identified bacterial pathogens. A health care provider diagnoses meningitis by observing the patients symptoms and testing blood and spinal fluid. Request pdf communityacquired bacterial meningitis meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges and subarachnoid space that can also involve the brain cortex and parenchyma. However, the symptoms of viral meningitis are usually not as severe as those of bacterial meningitis. Anyone can get bacterial meningitis the following, but groups may be at increased risk.
The bacteria that causes meningitis most often in young adults is neisseria meningitidis. Chapter 28 a history of bacterial meningitis sciencedirect. Some of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis include neisseria meningitidis, streptococcus. Bacterial meningitis genetic and rare diseases information. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. This type of infection is also called meningococcal disease. Nosocomial bacterial meningitis is most often related to either complicated head trauma or invasive procedures, such as craniotomy, placement of ventricular catheters, intrathecal infusion of. Pediatric bacterial meningitis is most common in children younger than four years. Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity.
Nov 01, 2004 in a recent study involving 301 adults with bacterial meningitis, the clinical features at baseline that were associated with abnormal findings of a ct scan of the head were an age of. The incidence of postoperative nosocomial meningitis was 67% 84 patients. Pdf nosocomial bacterial meningitis is most often related to either complicated head trauma or invasive procedures, such as craniotomy, placement of. Aug 24, 2017 bacterial meningitis is a condition in which the dural layers lining the brain the meninges have become inflamed. Bacterial meningitis disease plan utah department of health.
Viral meningitis, also called aseptic meningitis, is much more common than bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is an interesting disease in that the damage done by the disease is mostly caused by the hosts response to the pathogen rather than the pathogen itself. Transmission occurs through close contact, droplets, or direct contact with respiratory secretions. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels. Meningitis caused by haemophilus influenzae type b has been virtually eliminated in countries that immunize people with a h. Determination of the etiology of bacterial meningitis and estimating cost of disease are important in guiding vaccination policies.
Nosocomial bacterial meningitis may result from invasive procedures for examples, such as craniotomies, the placement of internal or external ventricular catheters, lumbar puncture, intrathecal infusions of medications, or spinal anesthesia, head trauma, or hospitalacquired bacteremia complicated by metastatic infection. Acute bacterial meningitis remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Some children with meningitis may have longterm problems, but this depends on the cause of the infection and the age of. Current and historical conditions indexed list of current and historical nationally notifiable conditions. Bacterial meningitis is usually severe and can be lifethreatening. Meningococcal meningitis is caused by the bacteria neisseria meningitidis, and. Practice guidelines for the management of bacterial meningitis. These viruses are found in the throat and feces stool of infected people. Nosocomial bacterial meningitis is most often related to either complicated head trauma or invasive procedures, such as craniotomy, placement of ventricular catheters, intrathecal infusion of medic.
Transmission occurs through close contact, droplets, or. Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. The mortality rate of untreated disease due to streptococcus pneumoniae and haemophilus influenzae approaches 100 percent, and even with optimal therapy, it is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. To determine the incidence and etiology of meningitis in turkey, cerebrospinal fluid csf samples were obtained prospectively from children 1 month17 years of age with a clinical diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis. 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. With the advent of antibiotics, the mortality for h. In adults, the most common symptom of meningitis is a severe headache, occurring in almost 90% of cases of bacterial meningitis, followed by neck stiffness the inability to flex the neck forward passively due to increased neck muscle tone and stiffness. Since the skull cannot expand,the inflammatory response will lead to cerebral edema, which will result in increased intracranial pressure and impeded cerebral perfusion. Csf outflow resistance is elevated and inhibits csf flow from the subarachnoid space to the dural sinuses. The 12 cases included seven males and five females, aged 1774 years. Three types of bacteria are responsible for 80% of all bacterial meningitis. In the preantibiotic era, bacterial meningitis due to streptococcus pneumoniae and haemophilus influenzae was virtually 100 percent fatal. Meningitis, bacterial nord national organization for rare.
Several types of bacteria, including streptococcus pneumoniae and neisseria meningitidis can cause inflammation of the meninges. Longterm storage of bacterial isolates is best accomplished by either freezing or lyophilization freezedrying. Bacterial meningitis in adults research explorer universiteit van. Genetic and rare diseases information center gard po box 8126, gaithersburg, md 208988126 tollfree.
Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, including the pia, arachnoid, and subarachnoid space, that occurs in response to infection with bacteria. All patients with bacterial meningitis and many with viral meningitis will be treated in the hospital. Top 10 things cdc says you should know pbs newshour. Meningitis is an inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis in the united states in 1995 nejm. In general, there are no medications to fight the germs that cause viral meningitis, so treatment is usually aimed at easing the symptoms.
While most people with meningitis recover, it can cause serious complications, such as brain damage, hearing loss or learning. Provincial case definitions for diseases of public health significance disease. Mixed infection in adult bacterial meningitis springerlink. Bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia ncbi. Bacterial meningitis is a serious disease caused by inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord meninges. Managing meningococcal disease in the united states. Bacterial meningitis is an infection that leads to inflammation of the meninges, the coverings of the brain. Bacterial meningitis is a potentially catastrophic infectious disease associated with substantial mortality and a risk of permanent disability in survivors. Urgent clinical care is necessary for people with bacterial meningitis, because death can occur in as little as a few hours without treatment. Meningococcal meningitis is a serious bacterial infection.
For language access assistance, contact the ncats public information officer. Meningitis bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease. Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis and is caused by an infection with one of several types of viruses. Meningitis can also be caused by viruses viral meningitis. Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cordalso called the meninges.
Dilemmas in the diagnosis of acute communityacquired bacterial. It affects the protective lining of the brain and the spinal cord or meninges. Bacterial meningitis can arguably be considered one of the great archetypes of all cns infections, and tracing the historical development of meningitis both provides a background for understanding the historical development of other bacterial infections of the cns e. Meningitis infection may show up in a person by a sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Communityacquired bacterial meningitis inflammation of the meninges is most commonly caused by streptococcus pneumoniae or neisseria meningitidis. Jun 14, 2016 meningococcal meningitis is a serious bacterial infection.
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. The classic symptoms of bacterial meningitis are similar to those of other forms. A group of viruses called enteroviruses is the most common cause of viral meningitis. Studies have shown a direct correlation between survival and delay in antibiotic therapy. Bacterial meningitis is the most common type of meningitis.
Bacterial meningitis is a lifethreatening emergency. Bacterial meningitis texas law senate bill sb 31 requires every public school district to provide parents with information about meningitis. In total, 408 children were diagnosed with suspected acute bacterial meningitis. Six of the 12 cases had communityacquired infections and. With treatment, mortality risk of death from bacterial meningitis depends on the age of the person and the underlying cause. 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. Freezing is the most convenient storage method for frequently recovered isolates as the cultures do not need to thaw completely each time they are removed from frozen storage. If you have problems viewing pdf files, download the latest version of adobe reader. A prospective study of etiology of childhood acute. Laboratory methods for the diagnosis of meningitis caused by neisseria meningitidis, streptococcus pneumoniae, and haemophilus influenzae w h o m a n ua l, 2n d e d i t ion1 1 the first edition has the who reference whocdscsredc99. Aseptic meningitis is caused by viruses, mycobacteria, spirochetes, fungi, medications, and cancer malignancies. After you see the csf, you dont need to think of a.
Rapid assessment and therapy are paramount in the treatment of the disease. Background before the introduction of the conjugate vaccines, haemophilus influenzae type b was the major cause of bacterial meningitis in the united states, and meningitis was primarily a disease. Most children with viral meningitis recover completely. Bacterial meningitis is a condition in which the dural layers lining the brain the meninges have become inflamed. The type of treatment depends on the germ that caused the meningitis.
You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. The classic triad of diagnostic signs consists of neck stiffness, sudden high fever, and altered mental status. Diagnosis, initial management, and prevention of meningitis. Communityacquired bacterial meningitis request pdf. This guideline covers bacterial meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia, focusing on management of these conditions in children and young people aged younger than 16 years in primary and secondary care, and using evidence of direct relevance to these age groups where available. Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a persons spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. Practice guidelines for acute bacterial meningitidis. A prospective study of etiology of childhood acute bacterial. Untreated, bacterial meningitis is almost always fatal. Summary bacterial meningitis is a lifethreatening condition that can affect all ages, but is most common in babies and children. Nov 14, 2012 bacterial meningitis is usually severe and can be lifethreatening.
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