Bacterial infx CNS Flashcards
What are the two categories of CNS infections?
- Those involving the meninges (meningitis)
2. Those which are confined to the brain (encephalitis)
What is the blood-brain barrier? What are the three functions it provides?
1 Separates blood and CSF
- Provides physical isolation for the CNS
- Protects the CNS, but not the PNS
What must microbes be able to do to cause CNS infections?
Disrupt the BBB
What is the BBB made of?
Tight junctions between endothelial cells and the cerebral microvasculature, cpithelial cells of the chorid plexus, and arachoind cells
What two features of the epithelial cells that comprise the BBB make them a good barrier?
- Tight junctions
2. Little pinocytosis/channels
How do CNS infections usually start? (3)
- Bacteremia or spread from a site adjacent/contiguous with the CNS
- Direct inoculation (rare)
- Neuronal spread
What are the three categories of meningitis? What are the usual causes of each?
- Acute pyogenic (bacterial)
- Aseptic (viral)
- Chronic (any class)
Bacterial meningitis is more or less fatal than viral?
More
What are the predisposing factors to pneumococcal meningitis? (2)
Pneumonia and chronic OM
What are the predisposing factors to meningococcal meningitis? (2)
- h/o recent URI (viral)
2. Complement deficiencies
Which type of meningitis occurs frequently in complement deficiencies?
Meningococcal
Where/when are meningococcal outbreaks (specifically) common?
Schools and military barracks
Winter months
What are the two common features of the bacteria that cause meningitis?
- Capsule
2. Fimbrae/pili
What is the function of the capsule of the meningitis-causing bacteria?
Resists immune mechanisms that allows them to travel to the CNS
What is the function of the fimbrae/pilli of the meningitis-causing bacteria?
help colonize the CNS cells
What are the two main things that cause the damage with meningitis?
- Toxins
2. Immune response
What is the significance of the bacterial toxins?
Incude the production of cytokines
What is the function of the cytokines released?
Cause inflammation and edema in the CNS
What are the four common symptoms of meningitis?
- Fever
- HA
- Stiff neck
- AMS
How do you diagnose meningitis? (3)
- Gram stain CSF
- Cultures
- Latex agglutination
What is the treatment for meningitis? What is this based on?
Empiric abx
Examination of CSF, age, preexisting conditions
The majority of cases of bacterial meningitis occur in what population group?
infants and children
What is the most (and second most) common pathogen of bacterial meningitis?
- Strep pneumonia
2. Neisseria meningitidis
What percent of meningitis are caused by Strep agalactiae?
5-10%
What percent of meningitis are caused by listeria monocytogenes?
5-10%
What percent of meningitis are caused by H/influenzae?
5-10%
What percent of meningitis are caused by Strep pneumonia?
50%
What percent of meningitis are caused by N.meningitidis?
25%