...INTRODUCTION Bacterial meningitis is characterized by inflammation of the meninges, the membranes lining the brain and spinal cord. In a recent survey by the Hib and Pneumococcal Working Group, the incidence of meningitis in 2000 varied from regions across the world. The overall incidence of pneumococcal meningitis was 17 cases per 100,000, with the highest incidence in Africa at 38 cases per 100,000 and the lowest incidence in Europe at 6 cases per 100,000. The overall death rate was 10 cases per 100,000. The highest death rate was 28 cases per 100,000 in Africa, and the lowest death rates were 3 cases per 100,000 in Europe and Western Pacific regions. (Hom, 2009) Bacterial meningitis more frequently occurs in black and Hispanic children. This is thought to be related to socioeconomic rather than racial factors The brain and spinal cord are remarkably resistant to infection, but when they become infected, the consequences are usually very serious. Infections may be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and occasionally protozoa or parasites. The most common type of CNS infection is Bacterial Meningitis which is characterized by inflammation of the meninges, the membranes lining the brain and spinal cord. (Hom, 2009. Almost any bacteria entering the body can cause meningitis. The most common are meningococci (Neisseria meningitidis), pneumococci (Streptococcus pneumonia), and Haemophilus influenza. Thtese organisms are often present in the nasopharynx. S. pneumonia and N....
Words: 1283 - Pages: 6
...Bacterial Meningitis 1 Running head: THE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL PROBLEM OF BACTERAIL MENINGITIS The Epidemiological Problem of Bacterial Meningitis: Risk Factors, Interrelatedness, Impact and Prevention Mandy Stocks University of South Carolina Spartanburg Bacterial Meningitis 2 The Epidemiological Problem of Bacterial Meningitis: Risk Factors, Interrelatedness, Impact and Prevention Bacterial meningitis is an inflammatory condition of the meninges or membranes that form the lining of the brain and spinal cord. The most common pathogens responsible for bacterial meningitis include: Neisseria memingitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Listeria monocytogenes. The disease in all ages continues to be a serious cause of morbidity and mortality, despite the introduction of effective antibiotics and preventative therapy. Bacterial meningitis is a serious disease that can result in brain damage and even death. The following will describe the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis and the effects it has on the individual, family and community, and the role of the community health nurse. Epidemiological Problem Description of problem Bacterial meningitis is a common infectious disease that has been diagnosed throughout the world. In general, it affects the very young and the very old and favors males over females. “According to the Centers for Disease Control...
Words: 2712 - Pages: 11
...In the article reviewed the aim was to examine which of the three vaccines is the most appropriate against acute bacterial meningitis. The three vaccines are: Hemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), Streptococcus pneumonia (S. pneumoniae) and Neisseria meningitides (N. meningitidis). The study under review took place in Turkey from 2005-2012. Acute bacterial meningitis is one of the most severe infectious diseases, which causes physical and neurological problems and even mortality [1, 2]. This disease occurs most often among infants and young children but also may be observed in older children. The percentage of mortality from bacterial meningitis is 2-30%, which is relatively high [3, 4]. 10-20% of survivors suffer from epilepsy, mental retardation, or sensorineural deafness...
Words: 418 - Pages: 2
...At the age of two months old my brother was diagnosed with meningitis in the year of 1978. He had a fever of 104.0 and was taken to St.Christopher’s hospital but then after a few hours was released by staff, stating there was nothing more that they could do. My mother then took him to CHOP Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia where they immediately started running test on him. The results were in. the doctor’s had concluded that he had a rare case of meningitis, and would need to stay in the hospital for a while before they could find a cure or treatment. In the mean time the staff did everything they could to break the fever, and once it was broken they realized something. My brother wasn’t making any sounds or noises even when they called his name. The social worker came into the room, and spoke to my mother regarding our experience at St.Christopher’s hospital.She was told to speak to a lawyer at once to take legal action for the safety of her child. My mom was grateful to the staff and she thanked them for saving my brothers life. The Er nurses and doctors explained to us that he would have died if he hadn’t come to the Er the time that he did. This is a very serious condition and at this time very less about it was known. Several weeks later the fever finally dropped and stabilized but his hearing was lost. This was such a big transition for us to adjust to but, without knowing how we were going to communicate...
Words: 2083 - Pages: 9
...Journal Article Critique According to Bamberger, D. (2010)," bacterial meningitis in the United States remains a medical emergency with a prospective for high morbidity and death even though the annual incidences are declining. With the increased use of conjugate vaccines, the yearly occurrence of bacterial meningitis in the United States dropped from 1.9 to 1.5 cases per 100,000 people between 1998 and 2003, with overall death rate of 15.6%". The age, immunosuppression and neurosurgical procedures add to the like hood of infection from specific pathogens. In people with community-acquired meningitis, aseptic meningitis is a lot more frequent than bacterial meningitis. At least 96% of children with cerebrospinal fluid exocytosis have aseptic meningitis. In adults, the incidence of aseptic meningitis is 7.6 cases per 1000,000 people and most common etiologies are enterovirus, HSV, and varicella-zooster virus infections (Bamberger, 2010). According to Bamberger, D. (2010), "in adults with community-acquires bacterial meningitis, 25% have recent otitis or sinusitis, 12% have pneumonia, and 16 % are immunocompromised". Fever, neck stiffness and altered mental statues are present in 99% to 100% of patients with meningitis. Of the patients that have meningococcal meningitis 63 % of them have a rash that is petechial. Pneumococcal meningitis is more likely than meningococcal meningitis to be associated with seizures, focal neurologic findings, and altered consciousness...
Words: 782 - Pages: 4
...Meningitis BACTERIAL MENINGITIS April 18, 2012 What is meningitis? Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as MENINGES. People sometimes refer to it as spinal meningitis. Etiology Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity of illness and the treatment differ. “In the United States, about 4,100 cases of bacterial meningitis, including 500 deaths, occurred each year between 2003–2007”. (Thigpen MC, Whitney CG, Messonnier NE, Zell ER, Lynfield R, Hadler JL, 2011). Meningitis can be caused by a variety of organism, but bacterial meningitis is caused by three bacteria with complex code names: 1. Haemophilus influenzae type b, (Hib) 2. Pneumococcus (noo-muh-KAHK-us) 3. Meningococcus (meh-NIN-juh-KAHK-us) Hib goes for the 2 month olds to 3 year olds. Pneumococcus hits infants, toddlers, and elderly people hardest. Meningococcus targets children younger than 1 year old. Cause Before the 1990s, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, but new vaccines being given to all children as part of their routine immunizations have reduced the occurrence of invasive disease due to Haemophilus influenzae. (www.cdc.gov, 2010) Hib meningitis can cause: pneumonia, and throat swelling, and can literally infect the blood, bones, joints, and the...
Words: 1540 - Pages: 7
...laboratory findings would be consistent with this etiology? 1. M.G. has signs and symptoms of 104º F fever, lethargy, headache, and stiff neck. These are all of the common signs of meningitis. Meningitis is often mistaken for the flu, which could cause further complications with the infection. There are three different types of meningitis: bacterial, viral, chronic, and fungal. Bacterial meningitis can be cause by a strain of bacteria entering the bloodstream and traveling to the spinal cord or meninges of the brain. Also bacterial meningitis can result from ear or sinus infection and/or skull fractures. Rarely this type of meningitis can be caused by infection preceding a surgical procedure. The most common types of bacterial strains include: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitides, Haemophilus influenzae, and Listeria monocytogenes. Viral meningitis is usually last a short period of time and can disappear on its own. The virus that is usually spread in this instance in the US is enteroviruses. Chronic meningitis is caused by slow-growing organisms intrude into the area around the brain including the fluid and membranes. Lastly, fungal meningitis is the least common form of meningitis and is usually caused by a strain of fungus called Cryptococcal meningitis. This form of meningitis cannot be transferred from person to person but usually is associated with patients that have weak immune systems. Just from the signs and symptoms it would be hard to pinpoint...
Words: 773 - Pages: 4
...Definition; Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes (meninges) surrounding your brain and spinal cord. It’s easy to mistake the early signs and symptoms of meningitis for the flu (influenza). Meningitis signs and symptoms may develop over several hours or over one or two days. Signs and Symptoms; The signs and symptoms that may occur in anyone older than age of 2 include: • Sudden high fever • Severe headache that isn't easily confused with other types of headache • Stiff neck • Vomiting or nausea with headache • Confusion or difficulty concentrating • Seizures • Sleepiness or difficulty waking up • Sensitivity to light • Lack of interest in drinking and eating • Skin rash in some cases, such as in meningococcal meningitis Signs and symptoms in Newborns; Newborns and infants may not have the classic signs and symptoms of headache and stiff neck. Instead, signs of meningitis in this age group may include: • High fever • Constant crying • Excessive sleepiness or irritability • Inactivity or sluggishness • Poor feeding • A bulge in the soft spot on top of a baby's head (fontanel) • Stiffness in a baby's body and neck Infants with meningitis may be difficult to comfort, and may even cry harder when picked up. Causes; Meningitis usually results from a viral infection, but the cause may also be a bacterial infection. Less commonly, a fungal infection may cause meningitis. Because bacterial infections are the most serious and can be life-threatening...
Words: 2140 - Pages: 9
...prevention of meningitis. It discusses the different and most effective ways to diagnose meningitis, such as lumbar puncture, blood cultures, computed tomography, and electronic resonance imaging. Evaluation of the cerebrospinal fluid is the key element in diagnosing meningitis. This article also points out that it is important to start therapies as soon as possible while waiting for the scan results, blood cultures, and lumbar puncture. It is suggested to start antimicrobial therapy or concomitant dexamethasone based on the patient’s history and physical exam, and what type of meningitis is suspected. It is extremely important to determine whether the meningitis is bacterial or aseptic, because bacterial meningitis is life threatening. The mortality rate in adults with bacterial meningitis in developed countries is 21 percent, and in children it is 3 percent. (Bamberger, 2010) In this article we are given a rundown of the common symptoms of bacterial meningitis such as fever, neck stiffness, nausea, headache, altered mental status, seizure, and papilledema. It also states that there are conjugate vaccines available to help with prevention of bacterial meningitis. These include meningococcal, pneumococcal, and H. influenzae vaccines. This article was educational for me because it gives you information that is important to know about meningitis that most people may not know. I now know what signs to look for in my children if they were to ever contract meningitis. The implications...
Words: 398 - Pages: 2
...Neisseria Meningitidis Neisseria Meningitidis is a bacteria that is best known for its role in endemic bacterial meningitis (Bingen, 2008). N. Meningitidis is described as gram negative diplococci. Neisseria Meningitidis is non-motile and is transferred among people via direct contact with bodily fluids in which the bacteria has inhabited (Bingen, 2008). N. Meningitidis is classified among the prokaryotes and is a member of the kingdom bacteria because it is unicellular and small as most bacteria (Bingen, 2008). N. Meningitidis can be detected by doing a spinal tap to extract some cerebrospinal fluid from an individual’s spine (Bingen, 2008). If the spinal fluid appears to be cloudy it is most likely infected with bacterial meningitis and is cloudy because it has been placed under increased pressure (Bingen, 2008). The white blood cell count and protein concentration of the CSF will also be elevated if Neisseria Meningitidis is present (Bingen, 2008). N. Meningitidis resides in the nose and throat of humans (Bingen, 2008). It can be found in about 2-8% of humans that are carriers of the bacteria in a normal setting (Bingen, 2008). The bacteria are found in much higher percentages in areas where many people are living together (Bingen, 2008). N. Meningitidis cannot grow in temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius. These bacteria can only grow where fatty acids and trace metals are also present. The nose and throat of humans is perfect because of the warm temperatures...
Words: 824 - Pages: 4
...of the drug Trovan (trovafloxacin), by Pfizer, a major pharmaceutical company. Pfizer held clinical trials of the drug in Kano, Nigeria, during the 1996 epidemic of bacterial meningitis. The experiments were conducted on 200 children and were said to be successful. Recently, 30 Nigerian families of the children used in the experiments filed a lawsuit against Pfizer claiming they had violated laws by not obtaining permission from the families. (Reliefweb) This lawsuit is unprecedented. I believe Pfizer handled this experiment with good intentions and the press, namely the Washington Post, has unfairly portrayed them. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently restricted the use of the antibiotic, Trovan, after it has been proven to cause liver failure and a small number of deaths when prescribed for many types of infections. Doctors were warned to reserve the use of Trovan for use only in the treatment of patients who meet very specific requirements. (Branch Law) Although it is harmful when used for certain ailments, Pfizer reports that Trovan has proven to be effective in treating meningococcal meningitis. This was determined during the experiments in Nigeria which were supervised by both American and Nigerian doctors. (Pfizer) This experiment took place in Africa because of its recurring meningitis epidemic, which kills thousands of people. Pfizer took the opportunity to compare Trovan with ceftrixone, which was the commonly used drug at the time, to prove its...
Words: 314 - Pages: 2
...Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that are the coverings of the spinal cord and brain. About 80% of all bacterial meningitis is caused by Haemophilus influenza (H. influenza), B streptococcus, & Listerial moncytogenes. The clinical presentation of Meningitis varies according to the age of the patient. Symptoms include fever, neck stiffness, altered mental status, photalgia, seizure, vomiting, and focal central nervous system (CNS) signs (Al Bekairy, Al Harbi, Alkatheri, Al Dekhail, Al Swaidan, Khalidi, 2014). Trevon presents with a three-day history of upper respiratory symptoms that are getting worse; and the fever, vomiting, photalgia, & fussiness. Coupled with his fussiness and lack of compliance with the Kernig and Brudzinski?s signs, I would make this his primary...
Words: 930 - Pages: 4
...Meningococcal disease, also known as meningitis, is caused by the bacteria known as Neiserria meningitids, and is one of the leading causes of bacterial meningitis worldwide. Outbreaks of this disease are rare in the United States but are very common along an area of sub –Saharan African called the African Belt. The African Belt stretches from the Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east with 26 countries involved where it contains the highest rates of the disease. (Who, 2015). Neiserria meningitids is carried in the throat and is transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from carriers. It is secreted from prolonged kissing, sneezing or coughing on someone or by living in close quarters. There is an incubation period of about 4 days before symptoms start to occur. Symptoms of meningitis include a stiff neck, high fever, confusion, headaches vomiting, and sensitivity to light. Meningococcal disease can be a potentially fatal disease if not treated right away. Patients must have a lumbar puncture performed so that spinal fluid can be examined and antibiotics, such as penicillin and ceftriaxone must be given as soon as possible. Sometimes the infection can be severe enough that death or serious long term problems can occur. About 11 to 19 out of every 100 survivors will have long term disabilities such as loss of limb, deafness nervous system problems or brain damage. (CDC, 2015). Meningococcal disease...
Words: 1385 - Pages: 6
...Chapter 22 Through what area does the cerebrospinal fluid circulate around the brain and spinal cord? in the subarachnoid space Which is the usual location of language centers? left hemisphere What would be the effect of damage to the auditory association area in the left hemisphere? inability to understand what is heard Which applies to corticospinal tract? it is a pyramidal tract for efferent impulses What is a major function of the limbic system? determines emotional responses Where are beta-1 adrenergic receptors located? cardiac muscle What does a vegetative state refer to? depression of the RAS and inability to initiate action Which is NOT part of the criteria for a declaration of "brain death"? presence of any head injury What is the best definition of aphasia? inability to comprehend or express language appropriately What is an early indicator of increased intracranial pressure? decreasing responsiveness What is the rationale for vomiting with increased intracranial pressure? pressure on the emetic center in the medulla What is the typical change in blood pressure with increased intracranial pressure? increasing pulse pressure A brain tumor causes a headache because the tumor stretches the meninges and blood vessels wall Which of the following causes papilledema? increased pressure of CSF at the optic disc What is the effect of an enlarging brain abscess on cardiovascular activity? systemic vasoconstriction and...
Words: 1094 - Pages: 5
...INTRODUCTION Review of Related Literature Pneumonitis Pneumonitis is a general term that refers to inflammation of lung tissue. It occurs when some irritating substance – solid particles, liquids, gases, radiation or bacteria – cause the tiny air sacs to become inflamed. This can hamper the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air sacs. Pneumonia is one type of pneumonitis caused by an infection. There are several types of pneumonitis. They include: • Aspiration pneumonitis- occurs when you inhale (aspirate) foreign matter into your lungs. Stomach contents, such as ingested food or liquid, are a frequent cause of aspiration pneuomonitis. Accidental inhalation of small particles, such as tiny pieces of peanuts or vegetables, while swallowing is common in young children. • Chemical pneumonitis- is a type of aspiration pneumonitis that develops when you inhale chemicals that are toxic to your lungs. Industrial and household chemicals, such as chlorine gas, ammonia, solvents and pesticides can all cause chemical pneumonitis. • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis- is nicknamed “farmer’s lung,” “mushroom picker’s disease” and other colorful names with good reason. Dust from animal dander, molds and plants, all potential allergens, can provoke an inflammatory reaction in your lungs. Symptoms usually develop within six hours of exposure to the allergen. Some people are more susceptible to developing hypersensitivity pneumonitis than are others, although it’s...
Words: 10402 - Pages: 42
