CNS infections Flashcards
what are the symptoms of meningitis
headache, sore throat, drowsiness, fever, photophobia, neck stiffness, petechial or pupuric rash, vomiting, shivering
babies: tense/bulging soft spot on head, not feeding, irritable, stiff body with jerky movements, floppy and lifeless
what are the clinical features of meningitis
intravascular coagulation, endotoxaemia, shock, organ failure, raised intracranial pressure
what are the endothelial cells supported by in the BBB
thin basement membrane
what cells make up the BBB
tightly packed endothelial cells lining the blood vessels
breach by infective agent causes encephalitis
what is the blood- CSF barrier
barrier at arachnoid membrane and in ventricles
breach causes meningitis
what are the most common bacterial causes of meningitis
- Neisseriameningitidis
- Haemophilusinfluenzae
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Mycobacterium tuberculosis
what are the most common viral causes of meningitis
Enteroviruses: •Echovirus •Coxsackie virusesA & B •poliovirus Herpes viruses: •Herpes simplex 1 & 2 Paramyxovirus: •Complication of mumps
what is a common fungal cause of meningitis
cryptococcus neoformans
what protozoa can cause meningitis
- Amoebae
- Naegleria
- Acanthamoeba
what are the features of neisseria meningitidis
- Meningococcal disease
- Gram negative
- Intracellular diplococus
- Only infects humans
- Exists as normal flora in nasopharynx
- Distinct pathogenic serogroups
- Transmission by droplet spread or direct contact from carriers
- 5 strains –A, B, C, W135, Y
what are the features of haemophilus influenza
- Gram-negative
- Coccobacilli
- Six capsular serotypes (a-f) known to cause disease
- Most virulent strain is H. influenzaetype b (Hib)
what are the features of Streptococcus pneumoniae
- Pneumococcal disease
- Chains of cocci
- Gram positive
- Exists as normal flora in nasopharynx
- Also causes pneumonia, otitis media
what are the virulence factors of bacterial meningits
- Anti-phagocytic polysaccharide capsule
- Endotoxin
- IgA protease
- Outer membrane proteins (OMPs)
- Pili(fimbriae)
what is the most at risk age group for meningitis
2-5 months
what are complications of bacterial meningits
- Sepsis
- Intellectual deficit
- Deafness
- Arthritis
- Skin necrosis