Meningitis

Question 1

A 20-year-old woman was admitted overnight with suspected meningitis. You are asked to review the initial microscopy results from the lumbar puncture. The lab tells you the culture is growing gram negative diplococci.

What is the most likely organism?

Answer 1

Neisseria meningitis

Question 2

What are signs and symptoms of meningitis?

Answer 2

fever, photophobia, stiff neck, purpuric rash, coma. May be associated with neck stiffness (meningeal irritation).

Question 3

What is treatment for bacterial meningitis?

Answer 3

IV ceftriaxone

Question 4

What would CSF show in bacterial meningitis?

Answer 4

low glucose, high protein, high polymorphs

Question 5

What would CSF show in viral meningitis?

Answer 5

increased lymphocytes

Question 6

What is treatment for viral meningitis?

Answer 6

Acyclovir

Question 7

What is the most common cause of meningitis in ages 6 - 60 years?

Answer 7

Neisseria meningitidis,

Streptococcus pneumoniae

Question 8

A 28-year-old female sex worker attends the emergency department with a severe headache and fever. On examination you elicit some neck stiffness and and mild photophobia and as such a lumbar puncture is performed. The results of the lumbar puncture show a yeast and a capsule in the CSF stained with India ink.

Which diagnosis is most likely?

Answer 8

Cryptococcus meningitis

Question 9

What type of organism is streptococcus pneumoniae?

Answer 9

gram positive diplococci