Meningococcal meningitis is a rare type of bacterial meningitis, caused by the bacterium Neisseria Meningitidis, which causes severe inflammation of the membranes lining the brain, generating symptoms such as high blood pressure, headaches and nausea, for example.
Meningococcal meningitis usually occurs in spring and winter, particularly affecting children and the elderly, although it can also occur in adults, especially when there are other diseases that cause a decrease in the immune system.
- Meningococcal meningitis has a cure.
- But treatment should be started earlier to avoid life-threatening serious neurological sequelae.
- So whenever a case of meningitis occurs it is necessary to go to the emergency room to confirm the diagnosis and start treatment.
Symptoms of common meningococcal meningitis include
In infants, meningococcal meningitis can cause other symptoms such as bulging fontanelle, agitation, intense intensity, stiffness and seizures. It’s because the baby has a harder time knowing how much of the problem causes intense stress, so always see a pediatrician, especially if there’s a change with policy changes or changes.
Once meningococcal meningitis is considered an emergency, a possible meninge infection should be sought in the emergency services, in these cases the doctor may suspect the disease from symptoms, but a lumbar puncture is needed to identify if there are bacteria in the cord column and confirm the diagnosis.
Meningococcal meningitis is an infection of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain, caused by the presence of the bacterium Neisseria Meningitidis, which usually infects other parts of the body first, such as the skin, intestine, lungs, and then the brain. . , where significant inflammation of the meninges develops and causes.
In rarer cases, this bacteria can enter the brain directly, especially if you have severe head trauma, such as a traffic accident or during surgery on this organ, for example.
Prevention of meningococcal meningitis can be pirated by using meningitis vaccines included (depending on the country) in the childhood vaccination kit, as well as other precautions such as:
In addition, people who came into close contact with another infected person should consult a doctor to evaluate the possibility of also being infected with bacteria, initiating the use of antibiotics, if necessary.
Treatment of meningococcal meningitis should be performed as soon as possible in a hospital setting with intravenous injection of antibiotics, such as ceftriaxone, for about 7 days.
During treatment, family members should use buckets as often as they visit the patient, as the transmission of meningococcal meningitis occurs through respiratory secretions, but is not necessary.
Because meningitis affects the brain membranes, there is a very high risk of complications such as:
Meningococcal meningitis sequences usually occur when treatment does not complete correctly, when it begins too late.