Meningitis Flashcards
What is meningitis?
-Inflammation of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord
What causes meningitis?
-Neisseria Meningiditis
How is meningitis spread?
- Saliva
- Airbourne respiratory droplets by coughing and sneezing
What is the management for meningitis?
-Antibiotic therapy
What is the prevention of meningitis?
- Vaccination’s
- Don’t share drink bottles
How do you test for meningitis?
-Lumbar puncture to test cerebral spinal fluid
What is normal cerebral spinal fluid?
- Slightly yellow
- Clear
What is abnormal cerebral spinal fluid?
- Cloudy
- Presence of blood
- Indicates sign of a pathogen
Where is cerebral spinal fluid kept?
- In the subarachnoid space
- Inbetween pia mater and arachnoid mater
What is a lumbar puncture test?
-The needle is inserted between 2 vertebrae in the lower spine
What are the symptoms of meningitis in infants?
- Gradual onset
- Fever
- Petechial rash
- Hard to wake
- Doesn’t sleep
What are the symptoms of meningitis in adults?
- Stiff neck
- Petechial rash
- Fever
- Vomiting
Where is the meningococcal bacterial kept?
- Nose
- Throat
What are the two types of meningies?
- Cranial
- Spinal
What are 3 examples of cranial meningies?
- Pia mater
- Dura mater
- Arachnoid mater
What is a petechial rash?
-Burst capillaries in the skin.
How to test a petechial rash?
-Blanch/ glass test
Most common groups of meningitis?
- A,B,C,X,Y,W
- B= more common in NZ
Bacterial, viral, fungi?
-ALL
Gram…
-Gram-negative (pink)
Risks of getting meningitis?
- Young/ teens are more prone
- Expose to tobacco
- Living close to others
- Having a respiratory infection
- Living in close proximity to others
- Binge drinking
