CNS Infections Intro

Question 1

What is encephalitis?

Answer 1

diffuse infection of parenchyma

Question 2

What is meningitis?

Answer 2

inflammation of the subarachnoid space

Question 3

What is the most common type meningitis?

Answer 3

viral

Question 4

What is the most worrisome type of meningitis?

Answer 4

bacterial

Question 5

What is a brain abscess?

Answer 5

focal infection of parenchyma

Question 6

How can an abscess cause meningitis?

Answer 6

if it ruptures

Question 7

What is encephalopathy?

Answer 7

diffuse cerebral disfunction without inflammation due to toxin or metabolic dysfunction

Question 8

Immune cells in CNS

Answer 8

microglia, astrocytes

Question 9

What is spreading in the blood called?

Answer 9

hematogenous dissemination

Question 10

This organism causes meningitis and has a 25% mortality rate

Answer 10

Listeria monocytogenes

Question 11

Complication of abscess after LP and need for imaging

Answer 11

possibility of herniation

Question 12

What might induce herniation when abscess is present?

Answer 12

LP

Question 13

Preferred Abx for empiric Tx of suspected meningitis?

Answer 13

3rd generation cephalosporin + ampicillin

Question 14

What Tx is used to treat inflammation in the subarachnoid space?

Answer 14

dexamethasone

Question 15

What is the function of giving steroids in meningitis?

Answer 15

prevent long-complications

Question 16

Mechanism of action of cephtriaxone and ampicillin

Answer 16

transpeptidation of peptidoglycan

Question 17

Potential neurotoxic side effect of cephtriaxone

Answer 17

seizures

Question 18

Bacterial meningitis:
WBC
Protein
Glucose

Answer 18

WBC: high (leukocytes)
Protein: high
Glucose: low

Question 19

Viral meningitis:
WBC
Protein
Glucose

Answer 19

WBC: slightly elevated (lymphocytes)
Protein: slightly elevated
Glucose: normal

Question 20

Mechanism of gentamicin

Answer 20

ribosome inhibitor, aminoglycoside class

Question 21

What are the big three CSF levels we look at for meningitis?

Answer 21

WBC
Protein
Glucose

Question 22

What symptoms are seen in encephalitis that are not seen in meningitis? **

Answer 22

sensory and motor deficits

Question 23

What is pleocytosis?

Answer 23

white blood cells in the CSF

Question 24

Encephalitis: focal or global?

Answer 24

usually focal

Question 25

Encephalopathy: focal or global?

Answer 25

global

Question 26

What is encephalopathy?

Answer 26

diffuse cerebral dysfunction w/o inflammation usually due to toxin or metabolic dysfunction

Question 27

What are the big three Sx of CNS infections?

Answer 27

fever
headache
altered mental state

Question 28

This term means presence of WBC

Answer 28

pleocytosis