Section 15 - CNS Infections Flashcards
What protects the CNS?
- Brain is protected by skull
- Spinal cord is protected by vertebral column
How can a blood-borne invasion take place and what can it cause?
- Across the BBB to cause encephalitis
- Across the CSF to cause meningitits
How can microbes cross the BBB?
- Growing across and infecting the cells that comprise the barrier
- Being passively transported across in intracellular vacuoles
- Being carried across by infected WBC’s
What are the 2 categories of responses to CNS invasions?
1) Septic
2) Aseptic
What is the difference between septic and aseptic invasions?
- Aseptic has clear CSF
- Septic is when the CSF becomes turbid/cloudy
What are some of the body’s responses to CNS invasion?
- Increased protein and number of lymphocytes in septic and aseptic
- Decreased glucose in septic and normal glucose in aseptic
What are some causes of septic infections?
- Bacteria
- Amoebae
- Brain abscess
What are some causes of aseptic infections?
- Viruses
- Fungi
- Partly treated bacterial meningitis
Why does a septic infection produce decreased glucose?
Because of increased bacterial metabolism
Between bacterial and viral meningitis, which is more common and which is more severe?
- Bacterial is more severe
- Viral is more common
What was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis prior to the 1990s?
Hib
Which 2 organisms are responsible for most bacterial meningitis?
- Neisseria meningtidis
- Streptococcus pneumoniae
What are some similarities and differences between Hib, Neisseria meningtidis, and streptococcus pneumoniae?
- All 3 produce capsules and IgA protease
- Neisseria and Hib are gram negative so they produce endotoxins
What are the common causes of bacterial meningitis in neonates?
- Gram negative bacilli
- Strep. agalactiae
- Listeria monocytogenes
What are the common causes of bacterial meningitis in infants (1-23 months)?
- Strep agalactiae
- E. coli
- Strep pneumoniae
- Neisseria meningtidis
What are the common causes of bacterial meningitis in children and adults?
- Strep pneumoniae
- Neisseria meningtidis
What are the common causes of bacterial meningitis in adults over 65 years?
- Strep pneumoniae
- Neisseria meningtidis
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Aerobic gram-negative bacilli
What is an important virulence factor in neisseria meningtidis?
Pili for attachment to epithelium of nasopharynx
What protects the blood and meninges from invasion?
Presence of antibodies to capsular antigens
What makes an individual more susceptible to blood or meninges invasion?
C5-C9 complement deficiency