0519 - Meningitis

Question 1

What are the CSF characteristics of bacterial meningitis? (WCC, Diff, Protein, Glucose)

Answer 1

WCC - 100s-1000’s
Diff - Polymorphs
Protein - Raised greater than 1,000
Glucose less than ⅔ that of serum

Question 2

What are the CSF characteristics of viral meningitis? (WCC, Diff, Protein, Glucose)

Answer 2

WCC 25-1000
Diff - Mononuclear
Protein - Normal or slightly raised
Glucose - Normal or slightly low

Question 3

What are the CSF characteristics of fungal/mycobacterial meningitis? (WCC, Diff, Protein, Glucose)

Answer 3

WCC - 100-1000
Diff - Mononuclear
Protein - raised greater than 1000
Glucose - less than ⅔ that of serum

Question 4

How can you from CSF tell if meningitis is Bacterial, viral, or fungal/mycobacterial?

Answer 4

What is the WCC Diff?
If Polymorphs - Bacterial, if mononuclear - Viral/fungal
What is the Protein? if normal, viral, if raised bacterial or fungal
What is the glucose? If normal, viral, if less than ⅔ that of serum, bacterial or fungal.
Diff, Protein/glucose can give you answer.