my girlfriend has menegitis (im sure i spelt it wrong)?

Question

i dont know anything about it the doctors and her family wont tell me anything..i dont know if its 'viral or bacterial' thats what people ask when i ask them..i cant seen to get any information at all...i know they keep giving her lumbar punctures or spinal taps..she went to the hospital for really bad headache that wouldnt go away...and she cant urinate..thats all i know...if anybody knows anything help me plz cuz im scared

Answer 1

Im sorry that she is sick. How long has she been in the hospital?

Here are the facts from the CDC:
Viral ("Aseptic") Meningitis

Meningitis is an illness in which there is inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. Viral or "aseptic" meningitis, which is the most common type, is caused by an infection with one of several types of viruses. Meningitis can also be caused by infections with several types of bacteria or fungi. In the United States, there are between 25,000 and 50,000 hospitalizations due to viral meningitis each year.

The more common symptoms of meningitis are fever, severe headache, stiff neck, bright lights hurting the eyes, drowsiness or confusion, and nausea and vomiting. In babies, the symptoms are more difficult to identify. They may include fever, fretfulness or irritability, difficulty in awakening the baby, or the baby refuses to eat. The symptoms of meningitis may not be the same for every person.

Is viral meningitis a serious disease?

Viral ("aseptic") meningitis is serious but rarely fatal in persons with normal immune systems. Usually, the symptoms last from 7 to 10 days and the patient recovers completely. Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, can be very serious and result in disability or death if not treated promptly. Often, the symptoms of viral meningitis and bacterial meningitis are the same. For this reason, if you think you or your child has meningitis, see your doctor as soon as possible.

More on Viral http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/revb/enterovirus/viral_meningitis.htm

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm


You need to find out which kind she has to find out how serious it is. I hope she gets better soon **HUGS**

Answer 2

Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes (meninges) covering the brain and the spinal cord, usually due to bacterial or viral infections elsewhere in body that has spread into the blood and into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Other causes of meningitis such as fungal, protozoal, or certain non-infectious etiologies are much rarer. Meningitis should be distinguished from the condition encephalitis, the latter of which is the inflammation of the brain itself. Meningitis can affect anyone in any age group, from the newborn to the elderly, although the specific cause may be different. Typical signs and symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, stiff neck, photophobia, or vomiting. Although the most common cause of meningitis is viral (which may resolve within a few days without treatment), anyone suspected of having meningitis should be evaluated promptly, because bacterial meningitis can be very serious and immediate treatment is necessary.
Viruses are the most common cause of meningitis. Enterovirus accounts for the majority (75 to 90%) of all cases of viral meningitis.
You can read more for yourself online.

Answer 3

If you had recent contact with her get to your doctor and get checked. This is nothing to fool with. It gets in the spinal fluid and gets to the brain. Don't take this lightly. Her family and Doctor should have notified you to see a doctor immediately.

Answer 4

definite, it bothers me very lots! the way I see it, is that in the event that they "love" the band/musician lots, then why can no longer they spell the call wisely? it somewhat is the comparable for songs. I certainly am so stricken by using pretend-followers, even of bands/musicians/songs i do unlike. i understand each and every physique is pretend-followers basically so they might look "cool", or something, that's the ingredient that bothers me the main.

Answer 5

Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes (meninges) covering the brain and the spinal cord, usually due to bacterial or viral infections elsewhere in body that has spread into the blood and into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Other causes of meningitis such as fungal, protozoal, or certain non-infectious etiologies are much rarer. Meningitis should be distinguished from the condition encephalitis, the latter of which is the inflammation of the brain itself. Meningitis can affect anyone in any age group, from the newborn to the elderly, although the specific cause may be different. Typical signs and symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, stiff neck, photophobia, or vomiting. Although the most common cause of meningitis is viral (which may resolve within a few days without treatment), anyone suspected of having meningitis should be evaluated promptly, because bacterial meningitis can be very serious and immediate treatment is necessary. Viruses are the most common cause of meningitis. Enterovirus accounts for the majority (75 to 90%) of all cases of viral meningitis. Specific etiologies within the family Picornaviridae and other common viral causes of aseptic meningitis includes:
coxsackievirus
echovirus
poliovirus
human enteroviruses
arbovirus
lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
HIV
herpes simplex virus type II
Less common and rare causes of viral meningitis includes herpes simplex virus type I, varicella zoster virus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, influenza virus A or B, parainfluenza virus, mumps, rubella, and West Nile virus.

G00.-G01.: Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of purulent CNS infection with incidence in the United States >2.5/100,000/yr. Currently, the most common organisms overall responsible for community-acquired meningitis are Streptococcus pneumoniae (~50%), Neisseria meningitidis (~25%), Streptococcus agalactiae or Group B Streptococci (~15%), and Listeria monocytogenes (~10%). Haemophilus influenzae now consists of < 10% of all cases since the widespread use of the HiB vaccine. The causes can also be simplified by the age of the patient affected (most common listed first):
less than 3 months --- Streptococcus agalactiae, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes
3 mo to 8 yrs --- Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae
18 to 50 yrs --- Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis
50 yrs and older --- Streptococcus pneumoniae, Listeria monocytogenes, Gram-negative bacilli
Immunocompromised --- Listeria monocytogenes, Gram-negative bacilli, Cryptococcus neoformans (fungal)
Head trauma..etc

Pneumococcal meningitis due to S pneumoniae can be precipitated by many factors, the most important of which is Pneumococcal pneumonia. Additional risks include Pneumococcal sinusitis or otitis media, alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, splenectomy, hypogammaglobulinemia, and head trauma. Mortality remains ~20% despite antibiotic therapy.
Meningococcal meningitis due to N meningitidis after nasopharyngeal colonization may be either asymptomatic or become systemically invasive, progressing to death within hours of symptomatic onset. The main host capability to eradicate N meningitidis is through production of antibodies and lysis of the bacterium by both the classic and alternative complement pathway. Patients with impaired or deficient complement components, especially the C5-9 lytic component, is highly susceptible to disseminated meningococcal infections.
Group B streptococci meningitis due to S agalactiae is an important cause of neonatal meningitis, the risk of which increases if the mother has positive vaginal colonization during birth and was not given antibiotics.
Listeria infection is mainly acquired through ingestion of contaminated foods. Reported foods at risk for Listeria contamination include milk, coleslaw, soft cheeses, and several ready-to-eat foods such as deli meat and uncooked hot dogs.
Gram negative bacilli infection is more common in those with chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus, cirrhosis, alcoholism, or chronic urinary tract infections.
Staphyloccocus infections such as those due to S aureus is important in those who have had neurosurgery procedures such as shunting for hydrocephalus or the use of Ommaya reservoir for intrathecal chemotherapy
Cerebrospinal fluid leakage greatly increases the risk of meningitis.
Viral meningitis infections may express a higher incidence during certain seasonable variations. Symptoms of meningitis may progress either acutely, becoming fulminant within a few hours, or present subacutely over several days. The classical triad of meningitis are fever, headache, and nuchal rigidity ("neck stiffness") --- each presents in >90% of patients. Photophobia (intolerance to light), chills, nausea, vomiting, may also occur. Seizures may occur in about 20 to 40% of patients. Other signs include Kernig's sign and Brudzinski's sign. Although commonly tested, the sensitivity and specificity of Kernig's and Brudzinski's tests are uncertain.

Nuchal rigidity is the pathognomonic sign of meningeal irritation and is present when the neck is resistant to passive flexion.
Kernig's sign is elicited when patient is lying supine, with both hips and knees flexed. Meningeal irritation is present if pain is elicited when the knees are passively extended.
Brudzinski's sign is elicited when the patient is lying supine, with both hips and knees flexed. Meningeal irritation is present if pain is elicited when the neck is passively flexed.
An important clue in meningococcal meningitis is diffuse petechial rash present on the trunk, lower extremities, mucous membranes, conjunctiva, and occasionally on the palms and soles.


An increased intracranial pressure is a known and a potentially fatal complication of bacterial meningitis. The main sign of an increased ICP is an altered states of consciousness, which may vary from lethargy to confusion to coma. More than 90% of cases will present with CSF opening pressure > 180 mmHg and some with > 400 mmHg. Other signs of increased ICP in addition to headache and vomiting include papilledema, sixth cranial nerve palsies, decerebrate posturing, and Cushing's reflex (bradycardia, hypotension, and Cheyne-Stokes respiration). The most fatal complication of ICP is brain herniation, which may present in 1 to 8% of cases.
Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and has a high mortality rate if untreated. All suspected cases, however mild, need emergency medical attention. Empiric antibiotics must be started immediately, even before the results of the lumbar puncture and CSF analysis are known.

The choice of antibiotic depends on local advice. In most of the developed world, the most common organisms involved are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis: first line treatment in the UK is a third-generation cephalosporin (such as ceftriaxone or cefotaxime). In those under 3 years of age, over 50 years of age, or immunocompromised, ampicillin should be added to cover Listeria monocytogenes. In the US and other countries with high levels of penicillin resistance, the first line choice of antibiotics is vancomycin and a carbapenem (such as meropenem). In sub-Saharan Africa, oily chloramphenicol or ceftriaxone are often used because only a single dose is needed in most cases.

Staphylococci and gram-negative bacilli are common infective agents in patients who have just had a neurosurgical procedure. Again, the choice of antibiotic depends on local patterns of infection: cefotaxime and ceftriaxone remain good choices in many situations, but ceftazidime is used when Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a problem, and intraventricular vancomycin is used for those patients with intraventricular shunts because of high rates of staphylococcal infection. In patients with intracerebral prothetic material (metal plates, electrodes or implants, etc.) then sometimes chloramphenicol is the only antibiotic that will adequately cover infection by staphylococcus aureus (cephalosporins and carbapenems are inadequate under these circumstances).

Hope this helps.