Menigitis and Sepsis

Question 1

What are the meninges? What do they do?

Answer 1

Connective tissue layers
Pia mater--> Innermost layer
Arachnoid mater--> Middle layer
Dura mater--> Outermost layer
Protection from injury and infection

Question 2

Where is the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) located?

Answer 2

In the subarachnoid space (deep to arachnoid and superficial to pia)
Surrounds brain and spinal cord and fills ventricles

Question 3

What produces the CSF?

Answer 3

Choroid plexus located in lining of ventricle
Capillaries and loose CT
Plasma filtered from blood by epithelial cells

Question 4

What is the composition of CSF?

Answer 4

Controlled
Contains glucose (2/3rds of amount in blood), and some proteins
No (few) cells should be present–> lymphocytes if any

Question 5

What does a lumbar puncture allow? Why would you perform a lumbar puncture?

Answer 5

Collection and analysis of CSF
Spinal cord ends L2–> cauda equina floats in CFS
Push needle between SP and dura mater of L3- L4 remove small amount of CSF

Question 6

What causes meningitis?

Answer 6

Inflammation of the meninges