Aseptic and Bacterial Meningitis: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention - PubMed
6 hours ago
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- #meningitis
- Meningitis involves inflammation of the brain's meninges and can range from mild to life-threatening.
- Common bacterial causes include Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae type B, Neisseria meningitidis, and group B streptococci.
- Symptoms in adults and older children include neck stiffness, fever, headache, and altered mental state.
- Diagnosis relies on lumbar puncture with CSF analysis, including pressure, cell count, protein, glucose, Gram stain, culture, and PCR.
- Empiric IV antibiotics should start within 1 hour of presentation and continue until the pathogen is identified.
- Vaccination is recommended against meningococcus, H influenzae type B, and pneumococcus.
- Chemoprophylaxis is advised for close contacts of those infected with H influenzae type B or meningococcus.