How do you know if bacterial meningitis is an infection with neisseria meningitis or haemophilus influenzae?

Question

What is the problem you are asked to solve?
What is the hypothesis for the solution? What organism caused problem? What are the experiments that are required to answer hypothesis? What is your conclusion to the problem? Based on results what organism caused the problem?

Answer 1

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. People sometimes refer to it as spinal meningitis. Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection.


The problem to solve is how do you know if bacterial meningitis is an infection cause by neisseria meningitis or haemophilus influenzae?

Before the 1990s, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, but new vaccines being given to all children as part of their routine immunizations have reduced the occurrence of invasive disease due to H. influenzae. Today, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the leading causes of bacterial meningitis

The hypotheses for the solution: Bacterial Meningitis is caused by Neisseria Meningitidis. Bacterial Meningitis is caused by Haemophilus Influenzae

What organism cause the problem? Neisseria meningitidis (also called meningococcal meningitis) and Streptococcus Pneumoniae. are the two leading organisms that cause bacterial meningitis.


What are the experiments that are required to answer the hypotheses?


Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity of illness and the treatment differ. Viral meningitis is generally less severe and resolves without specific treatment, while bacterial meningitis can be quite severe and may result in brain damage, hearing loss, or learning disability. For bacterial meningitis, it is also important to know which type of bacteria is causing the meningitis because antibiotics can prevent some types from spreading and infecting other people

Early diagnosis and treatment are very important. If symptoms occur, the patient should see a doctor immediately. The diagnosis is usually made by growing bacteria from a sample of cerebrospinal fluid.(CSF) The spinal fluid is obtained by performing a spinal tap or lumbar puncture(LP), in which a needle is inserted into an area in the lower back where fluid in the spinal canal is readily accessible. Identification of the type of bacteria responsible is important for selection of correct antibiotics.


In "meningococcal" meningitis (i.e. meningitis caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis), a rapidly-spreading petechial rash is typical, and may precede other symptoms. The rash consists of numerous small, irregular purple or red spots on the trunk, lower extremities, mucous membranes, conjunctiva, and occasionally on the palms of hands and soles of feet.

Symptoms in infants under 12 months include high fever, fretfulness, irritability - particularly when handled, difficulty awakening, drowsiness, difficulty feeding, and/or a stiff neck, or bulging fontanelle (soft spot on top of head).


CSF is obtained by means of a lumbar puncture (LP). However, if the patient is at risk for elevated intracranial pressure, lumbar puncture may be contraindicated because of the possibility of fatal brain herniation. In such cases a CT or MRI scan should be performed prior to the lumbar puncture in order to make sure there are no large masses compressing the brain. Patients at risk for elevated intracranial pressure include those with recent head trauma, the immunocompromised, those with a known CNS neoplasm, or focal neurologic deficits such as papilledema or altered consciousness. Otherwise, the CT or MRI should be performed after the LP, with MRI preferred over CT due to its superiority in demonstrating areas of cerebral edema, ischemia, and meningeal inflammation.

The opening pressure is noted during the LP and the CSF sent for examination of white blood cell, red blood cell, glucose, protein, Gram stain, culture, and possibly latex agglutination test, limulus lysates, or PCR for bacterial or viral DNA. If the patient is immunocompromised, the doctor may also consider testing the CSF for toxoplasmosis, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, JC virus and fungal infection.


CSF analysis in bacterial meningitis
Opening pressure: > 180 mm H2O
White Blood Cells: 10-10,000/uL with neutrophil predominance
Glucose: < 40 mg/dL
CSF glucose to serum glucose ratio: < 0.4
Protein: > 4.5 mg/dL
Gram stain: positive in >60%
Culture: positive in >80%
Latex agglutination: may be positive in meningitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli, Group B Streptococci
Limulus lysates: positive in Gram-negative meningitis




What is your conclusion to the problem.? Neisseria Meningitidis is the organism that caused this bacterial meningitis.
Bacterial meningitis can be treated with a number of effective antibiotics. It is important, however, that treatment be started early in the course of the disease. Appropriate antibiotic treatment of most common types of bacterial meningitis should reduce the risk of dying from meningitis to below 15%, although the risk is higher among the elderly.


Basd on results, what organism cause the problem. It could be the Neissria Meningitidis or the Streptococcus Pneumoniae.
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Answer 2

They are both indeed causes of bacterial meningitis. Remember that the phrase only indicates that this is not a viral meningitis and doesn't specify which underlying bacteria is the cause, and these are both candidates. So you have to dig a little deeper. Both are gram negative so the stain won't help, but meningococcus has a distinctive shape that could differentiate it from H. influenzae, and both can be grown in culture. You are most likely going to see H. influenzae in children.

Answer 3

You should be doing your own homework
pick up any pathogenic microbiology textbook (the U of Texas Medical Branch has one online for free and find out which biochemical tests you need to do to distinguish the two.
It really is depressing that a health care student is this lazy.

Answer 4

haemophilus influenza is a secondary invader causing respiratory infections. neisseria presents itself as cerobrospinal fever--menengococcus. look for the symptoms that correspond with either culprit--eg--neck stiffness would be neisseria's sign. pnumonia would be the haemophilus presenting itself.

Answer 5

Rather disturbing that these are likely the folks who will be PROVIDING healthcare in the future, isn't it?

Answer 6

lol do you really expect us to do your homework?this is basic microbiology. Get a book and read your notes!

Answer 7

Do your own dam research. I'm not doing your homework.

Answer 8

.l