Meningitis Flashcards
Define Meningitis?
Inflammation of the leptomeningeal (pia and arachnoid mater) coverings of the brain, most commonly due to infection
What are the bacterial causes of meningitis in Neonates?
Group B streptococci
Escherichia Coli
Listeria Monocytogenes
What are the bacterial causes of meningitis in Children?
Haemophilus Influenzae
Neisseria Meningitidis
Streptococcus Pneumoniae
What are the bacterial causes of meningitis in Adults?
Neisseria Meningitidis
Streptococcus Pneumoniae
TB
What are the bacterial causes of meningitis Elderely?
Streptococcus Pneumoniae
Listeria Monocytogenes
What are the viral causes of Meningitis?
Enteroviruses Mumps HSV VZV HIV
What are the other causes of Meningitis?
Fungal (Cryptococcus which is a common cause of Meningitis in HIV patients)
Aseptic Meningitis (not due to microbes)
Mollaret’s Meningitis (recurrent benign lymphocytic meningitis)
What are the risk factors for Meningitis?
Close communities (e.g. college halls) o Basal skull fractures o Mastoiditis o Sinusitis o Inner ear infections o Alcoholism o Immunodeficiency o Splenectomy o Sickle cell anaemia o CSF shunts o Intracranial surgery
What is the epidemiology of meningitis in the UK?
2500 notifications/yr
What are the presenting symptoms of meningitis?
- Severe headache
- Photophobia
- Neck or backache
- Irritability
- Drowsiness
- Vomiting
- High-pitched crying or fits (common in children)
- Reduced consciousness
- Fever
What’s important to remember when taking a history for meningitis?
Remember to take a good travel history and exposure history and make sure they’re not exposed to any of the exposure factors
What are the exposure factors in Meningitis?
Rodents (lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus)
Ticks (Lyme borrelia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever)
Mosquitoes (West Nile Virus)
Sexual Activity (HSV-2, HIV, Syphillis)
Travel
What are the signs of Meningism on physical examination?
Photophobia
Neck Stiffness
Kernig’s Sign
Brudzinski’s sign
What is Kernig’s sign?
With the hips flexed, there is pain/resistance on passive knee extension
What is Brudzinski’s sign?
Flexion of the hips when the neck is flexed