MENINGITIS

By Zoe Truong
 DESCRIPTION
• Meningitis happens when the membranes (meninges) surrounding the brain and the spinal cord
become inflamed due to an infection.
• To be specific, meningitis affects two key organs: the brain and the spinal cord.
• Moreover, as meningitis happens in the brain, the nervous central system (NCS) is the organ system
that is affected directly.
• Severe meningitis could affect other organs such as ears, eyes, which could lead to hearing loss, light
sensitivity, skin problems, etc.
• There are two types of meningitis: non-infection and infection called Viral Meningitis and Bacterial
Meningitis respectively.
 Bacterium, fungus, often cause infectious meningitis by entering the bloodstream until reaching the
spinal cord. In bacterial meningitis, treatment is required as this is an emergency case.
 Other non-infectious cases of meningitis are often caused by drug allergies, physical injury, virus, etc.
In viral meningitis, patients could get better even without treatment.
 SYMPTOMS
• There are some classic symptoms in children and adults such as:
 Nausea and vomiting, neck pain, fever, poor feeding, eye pain, rash, skin abnormality, headache, sore
throat, light sensitivity. [1]
• However, it is quite hard for children to show symptoms of meningitis because of their age..
• As meningitis develops, patients could experience brain damage. This could lead to later effects like
learning difficulties or seizures. [2]
• In adults, meningitis could decrease their productivity because they may experience hearing loss,
which makes it hard for them to communicate well. Moreover, as meningitis may cause blood
poisoning, the infection could release harmful toxins and damage the blood vessels. [2]
• Those problems could be a huge difficulty in patients’ lives as well as pain to them.
 DIAGNOSIS
[4]
• There are some diagnosis tests for meningitis:
 Blood cultures: blood samples are taken and then placed under
a special dish to see if it grows microorganisms or studied under
a microscope. [3]
 Computerized tomography (CT) in patients’ head could show the
swollen parts or the inflammation. X-rays or CT in the chest
could show infection. In pregnant women, radiation from chest
X-ray is not directly towards the fetus. Therefore, the risk of
radiation to the baby is minimal. [3]
 Spinal tap (lumbar picture): this is the most accurate way to
diagnose meningitis. Patients need a spinal tap to collect
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Increased white blood cell, increased
proteins, low sugar level are often shown in the CSF of people
who have meningitis. CSF could help identify which bacterium
caused meningitis. However, headaches and bleeding can
sometimes happen.[3]
• During diagnosis process, the doctor may check your head,
ears, etc.[3]
 TREATMENT
• The treatment depends on which type of meningitis you have:
 For bacterial meningitis:
o Patients must be treated with intravenous antibiotics to control the infection. Tests will be done to identify the type
of meningitis. Then, the type of antibiotics may be changed. [5]
o Sometimes, treatment with corticosteroids could help control the swelling and brain pressure. Also,
corticosteroids could decrease risks of complications such as hearing loss. [5]
o In addition, IV fluids could help patients feel better as fluids can be lost because of fever, nausea, etc. [5]
o For viral meningitis: antibiotics could not cure meningitis, most cases could improve on their own. Treatment of
mild cases includes: anti-fever medication such as Tylenol, good rest, fluids to prevent dehydration, etc. [6]
 Other types: doctors could start with antiviral and antibiotic treatment first when the type of meningitis is being
identified.
 There are also some natural remedies that could treat meningitis:
o Garlic: Allicin and other organic compounds in garlic have been shown to be able to effective against meningitis
as they are loaded with antioxidants that have antiviral and antibacterial capabilities.[7]
o Coconut oil: if you have fungal meningitis, coconut could work as antifungal drugs to relieve the disease.[7]
 PREVENTION
 Meningitis is not hereditary, it is an infection of the body caused by bacteria. Bacteria can live in your body and the
environment around you.
 Meningitis can be spread through kissing, sneezing, coughing and sharing personal items. Therefore, don’t share eating
utensils, water bottles, lip balms and toothbrushes with anyone. Having close contact with people with saliva, nasal mucus
can increase your risk of getting meningitis. So, keep distance from infected people. [8]
 Be kind to people: when you sneeze or cough, please cover your mouth or nose, or bury your head in your elbow, then
wash your hands carefully. Just like cold and flu, bacteria can get on your hands and into your mouth. However,
meningitis is not that easy to spread. You don’t get meningitis when breathing in the same air with a sick friend or
anyone.[8]
 Maintain a healthy diet: this way, you could boost your immune system so that it could help prevent an infection from
viruses or bacteria. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. Also, make sure you get enough sleep and exercise.[8]
 There are two types of meningococcal vaccines (Men-C-C and Men-C-ACYW-135).
• People who should get vaccines:[9]
o Children ages 2 months to 11 years: babies may get vaccines when they are 2 months old
o Adolescents and teenagers ages 12 to 24 years: even though they received vaccines as an infant, a booster dose is
recommended.
o Other people with high risk of getting meningitis: people who have certain medical conditions, etc.
 PROGNOSIS
• Untreated bacterial meningitis is always almost fatal. If bacterial meningitis progresses rapidly, death may
happen in half of people who develop it, even with proper treatment.
• In those with severe bacterial meningitis, the death rate can be as high as 90%. If they survive, even with
treatment, there will be long-term complications such as blindness, deafness, loss of limbs. [10]
• In cases that are less severe, the death rate is still 25%, complications are still likely to occur. [10]
• In viral meningitis, most cases could improve without medical treatment within 7-10 days. However, as it is
caused by viruses, antibiotics will not be useful.[10]
• Bacterial meningitis and viral meningitis can both return.
 Bacterial meningitis can return to the patients when there is an untreated injury that allows bacteria to get in the
space between the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The only symptom could be a dimple on
the skin over the spine. It could take years to develop this type of meningitis. Treatment is the same as normal
bacterial meningitis. [11]
 Herpes simplex virus type 2 is usually the cause of recurrent viral meningitis, which is called Mollaret Meningitis.
Mostly, people could experience fever, headache, etc. These can last for a few days and then resolve on their
own. Mollaret meningitis is treated with antiviral drugs. [11]
 REFERENCES
1. Meningitis. (2019, January). Retrieved from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/meningitis.html
2. Verneda Lights and Elizabeth Boskey. (2018). What Do You Want to Know About Meningitis? . Retrieved from
https://www.healthline.com/health/meningitis
3. Meningitis. (2019, 08 January). Retrieved from
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meningitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350514
4. James K. Rustard. (2010). Neurology Review [PowerPoint Slide]. Retrieved from https://www.slideshare.net/marina761/neurology-review

5. Meningitis. (2019, 08 January). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/meningitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-

20350514
6. Diagnosis and Treatment of Meningitis. (2019, 02 February). Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/children/understanding-meningitis-
detection-treatment
7. Treatments and Remedies for Meningitis. (n.d). Retrieved from
https://articles.mercola.com/meningitis/treatment.aspx
8. Prevent Meningitis. (2017, August 11). Retrieved from
https://www.webmd.com/children/vaccines/prevent-meningitis-tips-protect-your-teen
9. Meningococcus and Vaccines. (n.d). Retrieved from https://meningitis.ca/en/MeningococcalVaccine
10. Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD. (2019, September 30). Meningitis in Adults. Retrieved from
https://www.emedicinehealth.com/meningitis_in_adults/article_em.htm#what_is_meningitis
11. John E. Greenlee. (2019, August). Recurrent Meningitis. Retrieved from