Meningitis is a life-threatening disease in which the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord become inflamed, commonly due to bacterial or viral infection, according to "The Lancet." Disease onset can be over a period of weeks, classified as chronic meningitis, or within days or hours in the acute and more serious form. Acute meningitis is most frequently caused by bacteria. Symptoms include headache, stiff neck, skin rash, fever, confusion and sensitivity to light, according to "The Lancet."
Causes
Meningococcal is the most serious form of acute meningitis, and is caused by pyrogenic bacteria such as Neisseria meningitides, according to the “New England Journal of Medicine.” Other causes of acute meningitis include the bacterial strains streptococcus pneumonia, Group B streptococci and listeria monocytogenes. Viral meningitis tends to be much less serious and early identification and treatment intervention is usually not as critical as with bacterial forms of the disease, according to Meningitis.org.
Transmission
Pathogens that cause meningitis are carried within the nose, throat and ears. These can be spread when carriers sneeze, and the infectious agents are breathed in by other people. Areas where a lot of people live in close proximity, such as army barracks are particularly associated with this disease, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Diagnosis
A needle puncture between the vertebrae is performed to collect the cerebro spinal fluid that surrounds the spinal cord in a procedure known as a lumbar puncture. Analysis of this fluid is then performed in a laboratory to isolate the causal pathogen. Treatment varies for different forms of the disease, so rapid identification of the causal pathogen is critical to the patient’s survival chances, according to Menigitus.org.
Antibiotics
If bacterial meningitis is suspected, antibiotics active against a broad range of bacteria should be administered as early as possible. Delayed treatment is associated with a poor outcome, according to the “New England Journal of Medicine." Once results of the lumbar puncture fluid analysis become available 24 to 48 hours after the procedure and the causal bacteria has been identified, patients can be switched to more targeted antibiotics.
Other treatments
Early treatment with steroids such as dexamethasone has been shown to reduce mortality rates and complications including hearing loss and neural damage, according to a study published in May 2009 in “Mayo Clinic Proceedings." In severe cases, the patient may need to be placed on a respiratory ventilator until the body responds to primary treatments of antibiotics and steroids.
