Acute purulent meningitis is an inflammatory process in the membranes of the brain and spinal cord caused by bacteria (meningococci, streptococci, staphylococci, pneumococci and others). It is very dangerous, as the meningitis epidemic is accompanied by high mortality.
Precursors to meningitis:
- inflammatory processes in the upper respiratory tract;
- decreased immunity;
- various injuries;
- congenital malformations.
Acute purulent meningitis - symptoms
The first manifestation of this disease is a sharp rise in temperature to high values (40 degrees and above). After the temperature rises, the patient begins to have a runny nose with a small amount of discharge, severe chills, headache, and vomiting appears.
To accurately determine the diagnosis, the patient is tested for neck stiffness - it is impossible to bend the patient's head to the chest. They also check for a positive Kerning symptom (the patient cannotunbend the leg at the knee joint if it is bent at the hip) and Brudzinsky - while the leg involuntarily bends or unbends at the knee and hip joints with passive extension or flexion of the other leg. All this is accompanied by severe pain.
Acute purulent meningitis is also manifested by the presence of hemorrhages under the skin and on the mucous membranes - dark brown spots ranging in size from a few millimeters to tens of centimeters. They can cover the entire arm, leg, etc.
Further, strong convulsions, delirium, psychomotor agitation join, consciousness is disturbed. In the future, excitement is replaced by oppression up to coma.
Diagnosis.
- The appearance of a characteristic picture of the disease.
- Presence of meningeal symptoms.
- Presence of changes in the cerebrospinal fluid. It is obtained by lumbar puncture. Under pressure, a yellowish-green liquid flows out of the needle. Microscopy reveals an increase in the number of cells up to 1 µl with a predominance of leukocytes.
Acute purulent meningitis - treatment
- Immediate hospitalization of the patient in the infectious department.
- Prescription of antibiotic therapy. The main antibiotics used in the treatment are cephalosporins (cefotaxime, ceftriaxone and others).
- Together with a course of antibiotics, a course of hormones is prescribed, as well as prednisolone or hydrocortisone.
- Be sure to prescribe infusion therapy in the form of solutions of s alts, glucose and adddiuretics.
- Seduxen, Valium, Relanium are prescribed for convulsive syndrome.
Prevention of meningitis
Today, the causative agents of meningitis can be found everywhere. Nobody is immune from infection. Now they have developed a vaccine that is designed for vaccination against 23 pathogens of various diseases, including meningitis. This vaccine is Pneumo 23. It is recommended to use from 2 years. Also now, vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae has been included in the national vaccination calendar. It is carried out for children at three months, and revaccination - at six months and a year.
