Meningitis Diagnosis and Treatment
How Doctors Differentiate and Treat Bacterial and Viral Meningitis
Nov 17, 2007
Meningitis Diagnosis
Patients who present with meningitis symptoms must be diagnosed and treated correctly. Symptoms are the first key to proper diagnosis. Since time is of the essence, a doctor often starts a suspected bacterial meningitis patient on high-dose antibiotics if he or she is already very ill. Meningitis can become rampant within a few hours. The important job is to determine the type of meningitis. Doctors will perform lumbar punctures (spinal taps) to check spinal fluid for other bacterial or viral infections. This procedure can pinpoint herpes, syphilis, or Lyme disease infections. The lumbar puncture will also indicate if the meningitis is bacterial or viral. If the meningitis is bacterial (more life-threatening), then the strain of bacteria needs to be determined in order to administer the most effective antibiotic to the patient. For very ill patients who are immediately put on antibiotics, medications can be adjusted once lab results show which form of bacteria is causing the meningitis.
Meningitis Treatment and Prevention
Once meningitis is diagnosed, a patient can be treated for the viral or bacterial variety. Viral meningitis may be treated with fluids, rest, and over-the-counter pain medications. More serious cases may require hospitalization. Bacterial meningitis is treated with immediate IV antibiotics in the hospital. They may be immediately administered (before a lumbar puncture test) if a patient is already seriously ill. Antibiotics may be changed if the patient does not respond to an initial treatment. Patients are treated with fluids and sometimes steroids (anti-inflammatories) to reduce swelling in the brain and/or neck. Anticonvulsants for seizures, treatment for low blood pressure or shock, and oxygen or ventilation for breathing problems can be administered if necessary.
To prevent bacterial or viral meningitis, it's a good idea to keep hands clean, and not put dirty hands in the mouth or near the nose or eyes, since the illness is spread through saliva and bodily secretions. Of course this can be hard to follow and since meningitis is less common than a cold or the flu, it is probably easier to get vaccinated against the illness. Currently there are a few vaccines which help to prevent bacterial meningitis. The first (meningococcal conjugate or MCV4) is suggested for children 11 and older. It helps to prevent meningococcal meningitis, the form that is most prevalent among teens and young adults. The second type (meningococcal polysaccharide or MPSV4) is recommended for adults over 55 and children 2 - 10 years of age.
- For more information on meningitis, read Bacterial Meningitis Scare and Viral Meningitis
- For related neurological information, check out the Neurological ARTICLE INDEX and Blog
References:
 |
