Find information on thousands of medical conditions and prescription drugs.

Bacterial meningitis

Bacterial meningitis is a condition in which the layers lining the brain (the meninges) have become inflamed as a result of infection with bacteria. more...

Home
Diseases
A
B
Babesiosis
Bacterial endocarditis
Bacterial food poisoning
Bacterial meningitis
Bacterial pneumonia
Balantidiasis
Bangstad syndrome
Bardet-Biedl syndrome
Bardet-Biedl syndrome
Bardet-Biedl syndrome
Bardet-Biedl syndrome
Barrett syndrome
Barth syndrome
Basal cell carcinoma
Bathophobia
Batrachophobia
Batten disease
Becker's muscular dystrophy
Becker's nevus
Behcet syndrome
Behr syndrome
Bejel
Bell's palsy
Benign congenital hypotonia
Benign essential tremor...
Benign fasciculation...
Benign paroxysmal...
Berdon syndrome
Berger disease
Beriberi
Berylliosis
Besnier-Boeck-Schaumann...
Bibliophobia
Bicuspid aortic valve
Biliary atresia
Binswanger's disease
Biotinidase deficiency
Bipolar disorder
Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome
Blastoma
Blastomycosis
Blepharitis
Blepharospasm
Bloom syndrome
Blue diaper syndrome
Blue rubber bleb nevus
Body dysmorphic disorder
Boil
Borreliosis
Botulism
Bourneville's disease
Bowen's disease
Brachydactyly
Brachydactyly type a1
Bradykinesia
Bright's disease
Brittle bone disease
Bromidrosiphobia
Bronchiectasis
Bronchiolotis obliterans...
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia
Brown-Sequard syndrome
Brucellosis
Brugada syndrome
Bubonic plague
Budd-Chiari syndrome
Buerger's disease
Bulimia nervosa
Bullous pemphigoid
Burkitt's lymphoma
Byssinosis
Cavernous angioma
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Medicines

Symptoms and signs

The classic symptoms of bacterial meningitis are similar to those of other forms of meningitis, including fever, headache, light sensitivity (photophobia), and confusion. Because of the continuity of the meninges and the linings of the spinal cord, movements that place strain on the spinal cord can cause worsening pain. In particular, movement of the neck and stretching of the legs cause a worsening of symptoms.

Clinicians will often attempt to elicit objective evidence of these latter symptoms. Brudzinski's sign (a correlate of nuchal rugidity), is detected when the knees passively flex when the neck is brought forward in a patient lying supine. A similar phenomenon, Kernig's sign, refers to an inability to stretch the hamstrings of an affected patient lying supine. Both are likely reflex responses to attempts to place traction on inflamed dura.

Bacterial meningitis can seldom be distinguished from other forms of meningitis based on symptoms alone, and usually requires lumbar puncture for definitive diagnosis.

Diagnosis

Meningitis is diagnosed when the cerebrospinal fluid, obtained via lumbar puncture, reveals the presence of an increased number of leukocytes. The condition is attributed to bacteria when their presence is detected via Gram stain or bacterial culture.

Etiology

In most cases, the reason that the meninges have become infected is never determined. Occasionally, the infection is the result of direct bacterial invasion from infections of adjacent structures, such as the paranasal sinuses or the inner ear. The latter is seen more commonly in children with untreated otitis media, although it should be noted that the true incidence of this complication and the ability of antibiotics to prevent it is a matter of controversy. Finally, bacteria can reach the meninges via the bloodstream, in a phenomenon known as hematogenous spread. In this situation, the most common predisposing infection is bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the structures of the heart.

Microbiology

The most common organisms involved in bacterial meningitis include Neisseria meningitidis (or meningococcus), Streptococcus pneumoniae (G001), Haemophilus influenzae (G000), and Staphylococcus aureus (G003). Less common bacterial causes include Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus and Escherichia coli. In developing countries, Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a common cause of bacterial meningitis. The less common organisms are particularly found in elderly or immunocompromised individuals.

Treatment

The mainstay of treatment for bacterial meningitis is antibiotic therapy. Empiric therapy, directed at the most common organisms, is provided until a microbiologic diagnosis is made. The initiation of antibiotics in a patient suspected to have bacterial meningitis should not be delayed while a diagnosis is made, due to the high incidence of complications in untreated patients—including brain damage, hearing loss, and death.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]


Corrections and clarifications - To: "Further research is needed on why rates of caesarean section are increasing" in April 15, 2000 issue, p 1074 - To:
From British Medical Journal, 6/3/00

Letter

In the issue of 15 April in the first letter on p 1074, headed "Further research is needed on why rates of caesarean section are increasing," we inadvertently omitted the second author's first initial: his name is S W Lindow.

ABC of arterial and venous disease: acute stroke In this article by Philip M W Bath and colleagues (1 April, pp 920-3), an error persisted to the final published version. The second paragraph in the section "Acute intervention" (p 922), gives the impression that alteplase is currently licensed in New Zealand; it is not.

Guidelines for managing acute bacterial meningitis In this editorial by Kirsten Moller and Peter Skinhoj (13 May, p 1290), a manuscript note was misread, which led to a redundant "t" and a missing "l" in Moller's email address. The correct address is kirsten.moller@dadlnet.dk.

COPYRIGHT 2000 British Medical Association
COPYRIGHT 2000 Gale Group

Return to Bacterial meningitis
Home Contact Resources Exchange Links ebay