When the human body is weakened, it is most susceptible to infections. Especially in winter and spring time. A disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets, especially during this period, it is easy to get sick. You need to pay close attention to the symptoms. A common cold can be the beginning of a serious and dangerous illness. The unpredictable course of meningococcal nasopharyngitis can even lead to death. Consider how this disease proceeds, what are the causes of its occurrence, symptoms, and also what methods of therapy are most effective.
Causes of disease
Meningococcal infection - nasopharyngitis - is transmitted by airborne droplets. The source of infection is a sick person. You can get infected by communicating with the carrier, kissing, coughing, sneezing. At the initial stage, the disease is provoked by a viral infection. But in the occurrence of the disease meningococcal nasopharyngitis, the cause is the bacterium meningococcus.
Epidemics occur in crowded places. Also, most often this diseasesick people in the team. These are children and adolescents in schools, kindergartens, as well as in hostels during their student days, in the barracks while serving in the army. You can get sick at any time of the year, but most often exacerbations occur in winter, early spring and late autumn.
Meningococcal infection happens:
- Localized.
- Generalized.
Meningococcal nasopharyngitis refers to a localized form of meningococcal infection. It also includes bacteria. The danger lies in the fact that in the second case, a person poses a danger to others, while he himself does not feel any symptoms of the disease.
But with a decrease in immunity, the disease can go into another form, more dangerous - generalized.
The disease is easy, but can be complicated by other forms. This is possible if:
- immunity is reduced;
- an infectious process joins.
It has been proven that there is a genetic predisposition to meningococcal disease. In such cases, the patient does not have a cellular immune response when meningococci enter the body. Recurrence of the disease in such patients is possible. In other cases, after suffering a meningococcal infection, a strong immunity is developed, you will not get sick a second time. But very rare cases of re-infection occur.
Who is more susceptible to disease
You can identify people who are most susceptible to meningococcal infection. This is:
- Children from 6 months to 3 years old.
- Age category from 14under 20.
- People who come into contact with meningococcal cases.
- Living in dormitories, barracks.
- Underprivileged children and adults.
- Citizens living in unsanitary conditions, which are a favorable environment for the spread of the disease.
- Inhabitants of Africa, South America and China. They regularly get sick during the hot seasons of the year.
And also at risk include:
- Immunocompromised people.
- Sick children.
- People visiting countries with adverse epidemic conditions.
- Emaciated people after serious illnesses.
- People with malignant processes in the body.
- Citizens with severe heart, kidney and liver disease.
- People with chronic ENT diseases.
Meningococcal nasopharyngitis in adults
Let's highlight several features of the course of the disease in adults:
- People under 30 get sick. Most often they are men.
- Girls get sick at an earlier age.
- The course of the disease is favorable.
- During an epidemic, adults are more likely to get sick.
- The course is severe in the elderly, if there are concomitant diseases. It is especially difficult for bedridden patients to endure this ailment.
- Adults are more likely to carry bacteria. However, nothing indicates an infection.
- Rarely, bacterial carriage changes into another form, only with a strong decrease in immunity.
- Carriers get sick less often than children.
- With frequent contact with he althy bacteria carriers in a group, adults are immunized when meningococcus enters the mucous membrane.
Meningococcal nasopharyngitis has an incubation period that lasts from one to ten days. Most often it takes three days.
Features of the course of the disease in children
In children, the course of the disease depends on how weakened the immune system is. But the following features can be distinguished:
- Acute onset.
- Meningococcal nasopharyngitis in children has symptoms very similar to acute respiratory infections.
- Not all babies get fever.
- Children get sick more often.
- Rarely carriers.
- Clinical manifestations within 5-7 days.
- Rhinitis, nasal congestion appears at the very beginning of the disease.
- Discharge from the nose has purulent impurities and mucus.
- There is a possibility of the transition of meningococcal infection to generalized forms.
- Changes in blood composition.
- The current is not heavy.
- Possible abrupt onset and rapid development. In this case, severe symptoms appear that indicate that the disease is not generalized.
Most often, meningococcal infection occurs in the spring and affects primarily children with weakened immune systems. The child must be constantly monitored, since when the disease passes into a generalized formthe disease develops at lightning speed, and this can be fatal. Therefore, if meningococcal nasopharyngitis is suspected, the child must be hospitalized.
Symptoms of disease
We list the symptoms of meningococcal nasopharyngitis:
- Itchy and sore throat.
- Nose discharge.
- Swelling of mucous membranes.
- Subfebrile temperature.
- Headache is not pronounced as in the generalized form.
- Dry, reflex cough.
- Weakness.
- Pale skin.
- Hyperplasia of the tonsils, posterior pharyngeal wall.
Most often, meningococcal nasopharyngitis is mild, but if the body is weak, symptoms of severe intoxication of the body may appear. Including hemorrhagic rashes on the skin, as well as meningeal symptoms, may appear. Unfavorable factors, primarily weakened immunity, allow the causative agent of meningococcus to enter the bloodstream, which leads to the development of meningitis. The following symptoms may appear:
- Photophobia.
- Severe headache.
- Hemorrhagic rash.
- Vomiting with no relief.
- Stiff neck.
- Children's blood pressure drops.
- Pain in the joints.
- High heart rate.
- Temperature increase.
You need to see a doctor. If you see a rapid deterioration in the child's condition, urgently call an ambulance.
Symptomsnasopharyngitis of this form disappear in 7-10 days. Then, within 2-3 weeks, a he althy carriage of meningococcus is noted.
I would like to note that meningococcal nasopharyngitis in children and adults is very difficult to distinguish from ordinary nasopharyngitis. It is difficult to diagnose without proper research. If symptoms are present, contact with a patient with meningitis is suspected. If there are symptoms, they are subject to hospitalization.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnose "meningococcal nasopharyngitis", it is necessary to conduct a differential diagnosis. For this you need:
- Analyze the medical history. Acute onset of the disease. Presence of the symptoms mentioned above.
- Clarify if there was contact with a patient with meningococcal infection or with a bacillicarrier.
- Perform clinical examination.
- Laboratory tests.
- Serological tests, express diagnostics.
- Take a PCR test.
- Perform immunological studies.
Timely treatment can save lives.
Next, we will clarify what laboratory tests are carried out for diagnosis.
Diagnosis of disease
Diagnosis of meningococcal nasopharyngitis necessarily includes bacteriological examination.
- Analysis of mucus from the back of the nasopharynx, from the nose.
- Antibody analysis in RNGA, ELISA.
- Complete blood count may show elevated ESR and unexpressedleukocytosis.
If a meningococcal infection is suspected, they can also be tested:
- Cerebrospinal fluid.
- EDTA blood for PCR testing.
- Liver function tests.
- Coagulogram.
- Concentration of urea and creatinine, glucose.
- Discharge from lungs.
Before the cerebrospinal fluid is taken, it is recommended to do a CT scan of the brain. However, this may delay treatment for some time, which is unacceptable. Therefore, if it is not possible to conduct a CT scan immediately, the analysis is taken without this study.
How to treat?
If a child or adult has suspected meningococcal nasopharyngitis, a doctor should be consulted immediately. The patient needs to be hospitalized in a specialized department of an infectious diseases hospital. At the initial stage, stop contact with the carrier of the virus. Next, start treatment immediately.
Usually antibiotics are used:
- Amoxicillin.
- Erythromycin.
- Ceftriaxone.
To combat fever and to relieve pain, anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs are used: Ibuprofen; "Nimesulide". And also Paracetamol.
Corticosteroids and immunoglobulins may also be used.
In the treatment of meningococcal nasopharyngitis, they simultaneously use means for irrigating the nose and throat, rinsing with saline, antiseptics, and inhaling with saline. It is necessary to drink plenty of fluids to reduce the intoxication of the body. In some cases, vitamins and drugs that increase immunity are prescribed.
Meningococcal nasopharyngitis is an infectious disease, so bed rest and limited contact with others should be observed.
Everyone who has been in contact with the sick person should be under the supervision of a doctor. It is possible for them to prescribe a prophylactic course of antibiotics.
If someone from the environment of the patient has similar symptoms, he is also subject to hospitalization.
Unfortunately, the disease can turn into a generalized form of meningococcal infection, this is its danger. If such complications are recorded, the patient is transferred to intensive care. The following actions are carried out there:
- Detoxification therapy.
- Anticonvulsant measures.
- Anti-shock therapy.
Discharged from the hospital after the main symptoms of the disease disappear, as well as in the absence of meningococci in the bacteriological analysis of a swab from the nose and pharynx. Bakposev from the nasopharynx is taken 2 times. The first three days after antibiotic therapy, the next two days later.
If treatment is started too late, neuropsychiatric disorders may develop. In the future, it is necessary to visit the doctor regularly.
Anyone who has had a meningococcal infection needs outpatient monitoring. It is allowed to enter the team after 10 days of home regimen and control bakposev of mucus from the nose and throat.
Everyone should know what has meningococcalnasopharyngitis complications.
Possible consequences
First of all, it is necessary to limit contacts, first of all, of children with sick people, since in childhood the body is more susceptible to infection.
It should be noted what he alth complications are possible if acute meningococcal nasopharyngitis becomes a generalized form of the disease:
- Edema of the brain.
- Pulmonary edema.
- Development of acute renal failure.
- Epilepsy.
- Cerebral hypotension.
- Disruptions in the functioning of the nervous system.
It is worth remembering that fulminant forms of the disease often end in death.
The most successful pathology outcome for a sick person is a bacteriocarrier. It is not dangerous for the patient himself, but for others there is a high probability of infection.
Disease prevention measures
In case of illness, quarantine must be established. Contact persons are being investigated. If meningococcus is detected, observation of children, relatives, colleagues is established for 10 days.
Preventive action is vaccination. In times of epidemic, vaccinations are free. For prevention purposes, people are vaccinated at will. Children are vaccinated against meningococcal infection after a year. Revaccination is carried out after three years.
Existing vaccines:
- “Meningococcal group A vaccine, dry polysaccharide.”
- Meningo A+C.
- Menactra.
- “Polysaccharide meningococcal vaccine A+C.”
- Mentsevax ACWY.
Some vaccines protect against three serotypes, some against one. This is the difference between vaccines in composition.
Note the categories that need a meningococcal vaccine:
- Children from 2 to 10 years old.
- Vaccination recommended for ages 11 to 18 and ages 19 to 55.
- People at risk: conscripts, freshmen living in dormitories.
- People who came from countries with a dangerous epidemic situation.
- Persons in contact with the carrier and the sick person.
Also preventive measures include:
- Washing and cleaning the premises using detergents and disinfectants.
- Ventilation.
- UV irradiation of the room where the patient was.
For prevention it is necessary:
- Vaccinate on time.
- Keep the room clean.
- Do wet cleaning.
- Be examined for the presence of meningococcus in the body.
- Strengthen immunity.
Note that nasopharyngitis is a form of meningococcal infection. When the usual symptoms of acute respiratory infections appear in a child, you should definitely consult a doctor so as not to miss a dangerous disease.
Preventive measures will reduce the likelihood of infection or severe illness. Everyone is responsible for their own he alth, and parents are responsible for the well-being of their children.
