The first signs and characteristics of reactive meningitis

1 Reasons for

Reactive meningitis is an acute form of inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord. If untimely assistance and the rapid growth of purulent foci, a person may die.

The disease is caused by microorganisms such as:

• meningococci;
• pneumococci;
• viruses and fungi;
• streptococcus group B.

The main methods of transmission of the disease are:

• airborne. The most common way of transmission of infection. You can get infected in any public place, for example, in public transport, a store, a polyclinic. Children can pick up the infection in the kindergarten, and thereby cause an epidemiological situation;
• pin is the method when infection occurs with a head injury;
• is transplacental - the way the virus passes through the placenta from the mother to a future baby;
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• hematogenous - infection from the foci of inflammation with blood enters the brain;
• lymphogenous is the pathway of infection when the virus enters the brain through the lymphatic system;
• perineural - a type of infection, when the inflammation of the nerves infection passes to the brain tissue.

In addition, there are still factors that can trigger the development of reactive meningitis. To such factors it is possible to carry:

• a craniocereberal trauma;
• otitis media, furunculosis, sinusitis;
• measles, rubella, parotitis;
• back injury;
• chronic diseases;
• presence of furuncles on the face and neck.

Often, the disease occurs in newborn babies who were born before the term.

Getting into the body, the causative agent of reactive meningitis causes inflammation of the tissues and membranes of the brain. And, as a consequence, the brain swells, microcirculation in the vessels is disrupted, the amount of excretion and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid decreases. This stimulates a rapid increase in intracranial pressure, the formation of hydrocephalus, that is, hydrocephalus.

As a consequence, inflammation will spread to the cranial and spinal nerves, as well as to the substance of the brain.

2 Features of the disease in children

Children's reactive meningitis is very dangerous, as it affects babies lightning fast, and the child can die within two hours of infection.

There are situations when doctors do not even have time to provide the child the necessary assistance. In each case, there are complications that occur immediately or after a while.

The disease can develop even in the womb if the future mother is sick with meningitis or another disease that also stimulates the infection of the newborn.

3 The main symptoms of

In case of onset of the disease, in order to apply for qualified medical care in the shortest possible time, thereby preventing the onset of irreversible consequences, it is necessary to know the symptoms of reactive meningitis.

The primary symptoms are:

• temperature rise to 40 - 41 degrees;
• severe headache;
• fever;
• nausea and vomiting;
• impaired consciousness;
• aches in the body;
• drowsiness;
• irritability;
• skin discoloration, the acquisition of a gray tint;
• appearance of red spots on the skin;
• increased heart rate;
• fear of loud sounds and bright lights;
• shortness of breath;
• sore throat.

In small children, straining and strongly pulsating fontanel.

Note that a patient infected with meningitis tends to take a pose to relieve the headache. The person lies down on one side and throws his head back, while flexing his legs to his stomach.

This feature is observed in both adults and children and is an important symptom for the timely delivery of a diagnosis.

The peculiarity of meningitis is that its first signs are similar to respiratory disease. However, the symptoms develop rapidly within 24 hours.

In reactive meningitis, there is a sharp increase in temperature to 40 degrees, which at first is easily knocked down with antipyretic drugs, but then the temperature rises again, and it can not be lowered.

4 Diagnosis and treatment of

In order to diagnose a person's meningitis, a lumbar puncture is necessary. Only this procedure can show the presence of this disease. The peculiarity of this method of diagnosis is that it takes quite a long time.

In addition, the patient will undergo such diagnostic procedures as eye fundus check, craniography, electroencephalography and computed tomography.

But at the same time the diagnosis of "reactive meningitis" will be given to the patient if:

• changes in the composition of the cerebrospinal fluid;
• specific signs of meningitis;
• signs indicating infection.

The patient will definitely be placed in the inpatient department. The nature of the treatment of such patients is intense and complex. In some situations, special resuscitation procedures are required.

Basically, the patient is prescribed a strict bed rest, a course of antibiotics, emergency corticosteroid therapy, and maintenance drugs. It is recommended to drink plenty of water.

In 20 percent of cases, the cause of the development of the disease is not determined by , and is immediately prescribed antibiotics of that have a wide range of actions.

Treatment methods are the same for both adults and children. The only thing that antibiotics can be assigned to different groups. In children, the disease always causes additional complications.

With timely treatment, reactive meningitis can have a favorable prognosis for middle-aged people. Unfortunately, even with the right and timely begun treatment, it does not have a positive effect if the disease has occurred in children or elderly people. This is due to the fact that their immunity is weakened, and the development of the disease is very rapid, complications and symptoms occur on an increasing basis. The first symptoms of the disease are similar to the symptoms of respiratory diseases, this is one of the reasons for the untimely recourse to medical care.