Meningitis – the facts
Parents are all too aware that children can be struck down with this life-threatening disease, without warning. Some cases make the headlines because the symptoms weren’t recognised early or a diagnosis came too late and a child died. While meningitis is a serious life-threatening illness, it is treatable and, being better informed about the disease may help save your child’s life.
For a checklist of what to look for see: see signs and symptoms of meningitis.
The word meningitis means inflammation of the meninges, which is the lining of the brain and spinal cord. This inflammation can be caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi. The bugs usually get to the meninges via the blood from some other place, such as the throat. If the bug infects the blood then it’s called septicaemia, and both septicaemia and meningitis can occur at the same time.
Different types of meningitis
Bacterial meningitis is generally more serious and there are two main types of bacteria causing meningitis: Meningococcaland Streptococcal.
Within the meningococcal group there are two main sub-groups – often just called meningitis B and meningitis C. There’s been an increase in the number of cases of meningitis caused by the Meningococcal bacteria in recent years and a rise in meningitis C, particularly in the 18-19 year age group. The meningococcal bacteria can cause septicaemia (blood poisoning) and this is the most serious form of the disease.
Viral meningitis is not, in general, as serious as bacterial meningitis but it is more common. There’s no specific treatment for viral meningitis because the body gets rid of the infection itself.
What treatment is available?
The main treatment is antibiotics, given directly into a vein. Before a doctor gives your child antibiotics they will want to be sure what they’re treating. To arrive at a diagnosis they will take blood tests, and they may perform a lumbar puncture. This involves putting a needle into your child’s back and taking a sample of their CSF (cerebrospinal fluid) – the liquid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Sounds dangerous, but doctors do these procedures every day.
Antibiotics will not help meningitis caused by viruses. For this the treatment is painkillers because the body gets rid of the infection itself.
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