reactive meningitis. How to diagnose reactive meningitis in time and prevent serious consequences Reactive meningitis: mortal danger and consequences

Reactive meningitis - what is it?

Many people know about meningitis as a very serious, dangerous disease. But reactive meningitis - what it is and why it appears, not everyone knows. Moreover, an interesting situation has developed on the Russian-language Internet with this term, where this disease is identified with the high rate of its development, compared with the speed, for example, of a jet aircraft.

The phrase "Reactive meningitis" is, as you might expect, associated with the Latin language, and not with terminology from the aerospace industry. Under the reactive process in this case, one should understand not the rate of its progression, but inflammation that develops according to the type of return from the main inflammatory process.

Examples of such inflammation are:

reactive arthritis in chlamydial infection of the genitourinary system or intestinal infection
reactive pancreatitis on the background of duodenal ulcer.

At the same time, the role of infectious agents in the development of reactive meningitis fades into the background, and aseptic inflammation and autoimmune processes in the meninges come to the fore.

A striking example of aseptic meningitis is drug-induced meningitis. Its cause can be the introduction into the body of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, carbamazepine, isoniazid, penicillin, ciprofloxacin, ranitidine, azathioprine, trimethoprim. With the introduction of antibiotics, air, drugs for chemotherapy, anesthetics into the spinal canal, the membranes of the brain may react. In this case, meningitis develops as an allergic hypersensitivity reaction.
In a bacterial or viral process in the body, infectious agents may not penetrate the meninges, but the products of their decay or vital activity cause systemic vascular damage (vasculitis) and reactive pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid. Reactive meningitis may accompany brucellosis, toxoplasmosis, leptospirosis, tuberculosis, syphilis, mycoplasmosis, venereal granuloma, chickenpox, parotitis, infectious mononucleosis, HIV, cytomegalovirus infection, poliomyelitis, enterovirus infection.
Post-vaccination reactions are another cause of reactive meningitis. After vaccinations against whooping cough, rabies, measles, polio, cases of reaction of the meninges were observed.
Against the background of tumors of the central nervous system: craniopharigiomas, brain tumors, meningeal leukemia, tumors of the dura mater of the brain or sarcoidosis, multiple sclerosis, Behcet's disease, pathological effusion with cells characteristic of changes in meningitis can enter the cerebrospinal fluid.
Extensive ischemic foci (with strokes) often give reactive changes near them, which can also affect the membranes of the brain.
Another case of the development of reactive meningitis is a breakthrough of cysts (for example, echinococcal) or brain abscesses, subarachnoid hemorrhages.
The diagnosis of reactive meningitis is often made in premature newborns after hypoxia in childbirth, intracranial hemorrhages, when laboratory methods fail to isolate the pathogen, but there is a meningitis clinic.

Among the bacterial infections that affect the membranes of the brain, most often there are: meningococci, pneumococci, streptococci. Meningococcal infection is most often the causative agent of primary meningitis, 20% of which is fatal. Meningococcal disease is one of the most “uncontrollable infections”, causing both isolated cases and epidemic outbreaks of the disease.

Reactive meningitis can occur against the background of streptococcal, pneumococcal, and other infections, when it penetrates the meninges with blood flow from an inflammatory focus in the nasopharynx, bronchi, and trachea. Usually, the spread of infection occurs when infectious foci occur in the body - pneumonia, otitis media, sinusitis, sinusitis, bronchiectasis, furunculosis, etc.

High body temperature, chills. In patients with reactive meningitis, a double-humped temperature curve is observed, that is, an increase in body temperature to 40 degrees at the onset of the disease quickly lends itself to the action of antipyretic drugs, and after a few hours, with a sharp repeated jump in temperature, antipyretics are already completely ineffective.
intense headache, bursting, all over the head, aggravated by movement, sudden noise or light stimulus.
Vomit, it occurs from the first hours of the disease, debilitating, repeated, not associated with food intake.
Muscle pain, young children may also develop clonic-tonic convulsions.
The characteristic symptoms of meningitis - meningeal signs, stiff neck, Kernig's symptoms, Brudzinsky's symptoms may not always be present all in the complex (see signs of meningitis).
Signs of shock: tachycardia, arterial hypotension, cold skin at high body temperature, feet and hands of the patient acquire an ashy hue.
Excitement, anxiety, which appear in the first hours of the disease, are replaced confusion, prostration and coma. There is shortness of breath, hypoxemia, oliguria, and other manifestations of respiratory distress syndrome.
Some patients die from serious neurological changes caused by increased intracranial pressure.
Leather becomes a gray tint, with meningococcal infection appears and spreads rapidly rash, which is at first maculopapular, and then acquires a hemorrhagic character. The rash is localized most often on the lower extremities, on the body, on the buttocks and in the area of large joints.
DIC(disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome) develops in the absence of adequate treatment and an increase in the manifestations of septic shock. In this case, the rash acquires a necrotic, confluent character, collaptoid spots appear, gangrene of the toes and hands develops, hemorrhages occur in the sclera, oral mucosa, conjunctiva, the patient's death occurs from multiple organ failure and refractory septic shock.

Diagnosis and treatment of reactive meningitis

Any of the signs of meningitis, especially the appearance of a rash, fever, catarrhal phenomena, should be suspicious in relation to meningococcal infection. A sick child or adult should be urgently hospitalized for intensive care.

Using the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid by lumbar puncture, the causative agent of meningitis is detected, which makes it possible to establish a diagnosis. In the general blood test, an increase in leukocytes, an increased ESR. Urine with meningitis is usually dark in color and contains elements of blood and protein.

Treatment of meningitis should be carried out in intensive care units immediately, the patient is injected intravenously with saline solutions, plasma substitutes, antipyretics, in acute adrenal insufficiency, corticosteroids may be prescribed, with muscle spasms and convulsions - muscle relaxants, antispasmodics, diazepam.

Intramuscularly administered strictly hourly maximum doses of antibiotics, most often cephalosporins, penicillins or macrolides. When the patient is in shock, all drugs are administered only intravenously. With an increase in the severity of the patient's condition, antimicrobial agents are injected directly into the spinal canal. In order to avoid cerebral edema, furosemide is prescribed, and in the presence of clinical symptoms of cerebral edema, sorbilact is included in the infusion therapy.

Reactive meningitis: mortal danger and consequences

Reactive meningitis is an acute infectious inflammatory disease of the brain and spinal cord. It occurs in people of any age, but most often premature newborns, people with back injuries, head injuries and diseases of the central nervous system get sick.

A feature of this disease is its suddenness, spontaneity, transience. Therefore, it is also called "fulminant meningitis" - it can defeat adults in one day, and small children in a few hours. This is what distinguishes it from other forms of meningitis.

Causes of the disease

The causative agent of the disease is meningococcal bacillus, which spreads by airborne droplets. Therefore, you can get infected by visiting a clinic, while riding in transport, a store, and so on.

For children attending kindergartens, there is a chance of getting an infection there during an epidemic. In addition to meningococcal bacillus, enterovirus infection or other varieties can be the cause of the lesion.

Measles, rubella, parotitis can provoke reactive meningitis. The provocateurs of the disease are otitis media, sinusitis, furunculosis, lung abscess and other purulent diseases, as well as the presence of a craniocerebral injury and back injury. Premature and weakened children are also at risk.

Features of the disease in children

In young children, the disease can develop in utero if the mother is already sick with meningitis or another disease that provoked a corresponding infection in the newborn.

Childhood reactive meningitis strikes a child at lightning speed and can lead to death within a few hours. In all cases, there are complications that can occur immediately or occur later.

Symptoms of the disease

Reactive meningitis is manifested by the following characteristic symptoms:

How is the diagnosis made?

An accurate diagnosis can only be made with a lumbar puncture. Only this study can distinguish meningitis from other diseases that are similar in symptoms.

But such a study takes time, so blood is urgently taken for general and biochemical analysis. In addition, an examination of the fundus, EEG, X-ray of the skull, CT and MRI is performed.

An accurate diagnosis of the patient is made on three main grounds: specific symptoms of meningitis, signs indicating infection of the patient, and changes in the cerebrospinal fluid.

Health care

Treatment of reactive meningitis is carried out only in a hospital, most often in the intensive care unit. For young patients and adults, the principle of treatment is almost the same, there can only be prescriptions for different groups of antibiotics, but this depends on the patient's well-being and the reaction of his body to the drug. Young patients always have complications that occur immediately with the disease or later.

The goal of therapy is to prevent cerebral edema and sad consequences for the patient, and also to start treatment as early as possible.

Immediately begins treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, the highest possible doses. For this, drugs from the groups of penicillins, cephalosporins and macrolides are used.

If the patient's condition worsens, the drug can be injected into the spinal canal. A course of antibiotics is prescribed for a period of at least 10 days, but if there are purulent foci in the brain area, then the course is extended.

If the drugs used: Penicillin, Ceftriaxone and Cefotaxime do not help, and the patient is threatened with fatal complications, then Vancomycin and Carbapenem are used, which have serious side effects.

In addition, therapy is carried out to relieve symptoms with the following drugs:

antispasmodics and muscle relaxants - the removal of cramps and spasms in the muscles;
glucocorticoids - improving the functioning of the adrenal glands;
Furosemide - prevention of cerebral edema;
Sorbilact - if there is already swelling;
for general therapy, saline solutions, plasma substitutes, and antipyretics are administered using droppers.

In the first hours of treatment, all drugs are administered intravenously - this is how the drug works most effectively, helping to avoid the occurrence of toxic shock. It is on time that the treatment started will help to cope with the disease without serious consequences for the patient.

Before the arrival of the ambulance, it is necessary for the patient to ensure physical and mental peace, to create maximum comfort, because all his feelings are aggravated.

It is necessary to close the windows with curtains, isolate from noise and screaming, to reduce the pain syndrome, put ice or rags soaked in cold water on the head, arms to the elbows and legs to the knees, changing them as they warm up. The patient can be given a drug for headache.

Complications and prognosis

In reactive meningitis, the prognosis can be favorable for middle-aged people if treatment is started in a timely manner. For infants and the elderly, treatment often does not bring any effect, since the course of the disease passes rapidly, symptoms and complications arise on the rise.

Possible complications of fulminant meningitis are:

DIC - the formation of clots in the blood, spots on the skin merge into one spot, gangrene may begin on the hands and feet, as well as blood accumulations in the mouth, in the eyes and sclera;
mental retardation in children;
paralysis;
deafness;
septic shock;
blindness;
decrease in sodium ions in the blood.

In the case of all points of treatment, mortality from reactive meningitis occurs in 10% of all cases.

The main point of prevention of fulminant meningitis is vaccination, however, vaccination does not guarantee complete protection against infections.

In addition, crowded places should be avoided, especially during the epidemic. Patients with meningitis should be isolated from healthy ones, sending them to a hospital. All personal hygiene procedures must be strictly observed. Going on a trip or a trip, study the situation with infections in the area.

If you find symptoms similar to meningitis in yourself or your loved ones, you should immediately consult a doctor, but it is better to call an ambulance. Only timely and correct treatment gives a chance to avoid death or serious consequences for the patient.

Reactive meningitis

Reactive meningitis is a special and most dangerous form of inflammation of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, characterized by rapid progression, the development of undesirable consequences and the onset of death.

Treatment of the disease is difficult, a sharp deterioration in the patient's well-being, coma or death in this case can occur within a few hours after the onset of its first manifestations. Reactive meningitis is especially dangerous for immunocompromised individuals and young children.

Causes of reactive meningitis

Meningitis is an infectious disease, its main causative agent is various pathogens, including meningococcus, staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc. The main ways of infection:

airborne, by inhalation of the bacteria inside;
alimentary, when eating food contaminated with this bacterium;
household, when visiting a public pool, etc.

Secondary reactive meningitis is also an extremely common pathology, which usually occurs against the background of a streptococcal or meningococcal infection in the body. The primary focus of inflammation in this case can be located in its various systems. So, in young children, meningitis often occurs as a complication of tonsillitis and pneumonia. The prefix "reactive" means in this case that the disease develops rapidly, within 9-10 hours from the moment bacteria enter the brain area. If during this period of time the patient is not provided with qualified assistance, the probability of a fatal outcome is almost 100%.

Symptoms of reactive meningitis

First signs of reactive meningitis you need to know in order to timely distinguish the disease from another, not so dangerous infection and prevent the onset of irreversible consequences for the patient.

Inflammation of the meninges begins with a severe headache, accompanied by chills and vomiting, indicating a sharp increase in intracranial pressure. The pain can be local in nature, concentrated in the temples, parietal, occipital region. This symptom is aggravated when the body is in an upright position, when walking, turning the head. Vomiting in reactive meningitis, exactly as in other types of this disease, does not depend on food intake, is not accompanied by nausea and does not bring relief.

Another symptom characteristic of inflammation of the brain is a sharp increase in body temperature to a high level. Such a temperature is not eliminated by antipyretics, it may be accompanied by hallucinations, a state of delirium, loss of consciousness, convulsions. Each next attack of convulsions can become fatal for the patient.

Reactive meningitis contributes to disruption of the normal functioning of the brain. As a result, a person has confusion, a disorder in coordination of movements, and a decrease in muscle tone. In infants, during the development of the disease, a protrusion of the so-called fontanel usually occurs.

The presence of complications of meningitis can be judged by the following signs:

violation of the heart rhythm;
lowering blood pressure;
shortness of breath, respiratory failure;
discoloration of the skin (the skin becomes pale gray), the appearance of a characteristic rash on it;
coma.

In the absence of help, the rash on the patient's body quickly spreads and becomes necrotic. The place of its localization most often becomes the lower and upper limbs. Necrotic processes on the skin are irreversible and can lead to sepsis or gangrene. In such cases, amputation is often necessary to save the patient's life.

Treatment of reactive meningitis

A patient with suspected reactive meningitis is subject to urgent hospitalization. Treatment is prescribed after the diagnosis is established. It is based on antibiotics (depending on the identified pathogen - penicillins or macrolides), agents whose action is aimed at detoxifying the body (saline solution, potassium preparations).

When the development of the disease has been prevented, and nothing threatens the patient's life, antipyretic, antihistamines, vitamins can be prescribed, and diuretics (Furosemide) can be prescribed for cerebral edema. Antibiotics for reactive meningitis can be combined with hormonal agents (glucocorticoids) aimed at eliminating the inflammatory process, antispasmodic drugs that prevent the occurrence of seizures and muscle spasms.

In the first hours of treatment, all drugs are injected into the patient's body intravenously. In this case, the drug acts instantly and avoids the development of toxic shock.

- This is the most dangerous form of infection that affects the membranes of the spinal cord and brain. Due to the intensity of the development of the disease, it is often called "fulminant meningitis". Reactive meningitis becomes fatal for adults within a day after infection, and for children - in just a few hours.

Reactive meningitis can be caused by group B streptococci, pneumococci, meningococci, and other pathogens. In addition, the disease can occur as a complication of other ailments: pneumonia, endocarditis, glomerulonephritis and others.

There are several main routes of transmission for reactive meningitis:

airborne;
contact;
transplacental;
perineural;
hematogenous;
lymphogenous.

Often, reactive meningitis develops with cerebrospinal fluid caused by a spinal or craniocerebral injury, a crack or fracture of the base of the skull.

Once in the body, infectious agents cause inflammation of the tissues of the brain and meninges. Their further edema entails a violation of microcirculation in the cerebral vessels and membranes, a slowdown in the absorption of cerebrospinal fluid and its secretion. In this case, the patient noticeably increases intracranial pressure, dropsy of the brain is formed. In the future, the inflammatory process spreads to the substance of the brain, as well as to the roots of the spinal and cranial nerves.

Symptoms of reactive meningitis

The first clinical manifestations of reactive meningitis are:

disturbance of consciousness;
fever, fever;
drowsiness and irritability;
muscle pain, "aches" in the body;
the appearance of a sore throat;
vomiting, nausea;
severe headache extending to the dorsal and cervical spine;
hypersensitivity to touch, light and sound;
hardening of the occipital and cervical muscles;
general weakness;
violation of the heart rhythm;
the appearance of characteristic rashes on the skin;
signs of nerve damage (deafness, paralysis, paresis);
swelling and tension of the large fontanel in young children.

Often, in order to relieve a headache, the patient takes the following position: he presses his legs bent at the knees to his stomach, and throws his head back on the back of his head. This feature of the patient's behavior is also one of the symptoms of the disease.

Diagnosis and treatment of reactive meningitis

An accurate diagnosis of reactive meningitis can be made using a lumbar puncture. Only in this way can it be distinguished from other diseases similar in clinical picture. Meanwhile, this procedure takes a lot of time, which, often, an infected person does not have.

In addition to examining the cerebrospinal fluid, common methods for diagnosing reactive meningitis are:

examination of the fundus;
electroencephalography;
x-ray of the skull;
nuclear magnetic resonance and computed tomography.

In general, the diagnosis of meningitis can only be made if the patient has three main signs:

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

Treatment of reactive meningitis should be carried out in a hospital and be intensive, complex. In some cases, the features of the course of the disease determine the need for resuscitation procedures.

The patient is prescribed the strictest bed rest, a course of emergency therapy with corticosteroids, antibiotics (vancomycin, ampicillin and others), supporting drugs, and drinking plenty of fluids. In especially severe cases, intralumbar administration of benzylpenicillin is performed.

Treatment of reactive meningitis with folk remedies

It is important to know that it is impossible to cure reactive meningitis on your own, at home. Moreover, the lack of timely and competent drug treatment can cause the death of the patient. Folk remedies in the treatment of reactive meningitis can only perform an auxiliary function, moreover, only after the patient's condition returns to relative normal.

For example, an aqueous infusion of lavender inflorescences or peppermint leaves can be an excellent anticonvulsant for reactive meningitis. In turn, you can relieve irritability and severe headaches with meningitis using the following means:

a decoction prepared on the basis of a collection of rosemary leaves, lavender flowers, primrose root, valerian root and peppermint leaves;
decoction of linden flowers;
strong green tea with the addition of rosehip extract.

Before using any folk methods for the treatment of reactive meningitis, it is necessary to obtain appropriate medical advice.

Consequences of reactive meningitis

Unfortunately, even timely diagnosis and intensive care are often unable to prevent the onset of the most severe consequences of reactive meningitis. In the blood plasma of patients, there is a noticeable decrease in the concentration of sodium ions (hypoatremia), septic shock occurs, blood clotting is disturbed, complete deafness, blindness or developmental delay occurs. Moreover, timely treatment of this type of bacterial meningitis does not guarantee a positive result: at present, a fatal outcome is recorded in 10% of all cases of the disease.

Prevention of reactive meningitis

The main measure aimed at preventing the occurrence and development of reactive meningitis in adults and children is vaccination. Meanwhile, vaccination does not guarantee unconditional protection against infection.

In addition, preventive measures include:

avoiding contact with people with meningitis;
isolation of patients;
strict adherence to the key rules of personal hygiene;
exercise increased caution when traveling to potentially dangerous regions.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. The process is triggered by an infection, the causative agent of which can be various pathogenic bacteria. These include meningococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, staphylococcus and others. They enter the body by airborne droplets, when eating contaminated food, as well as in a household way, for example, through common items or when visiting public places.

Reactive meningitis, the symptoms of which involve lightning-fast spread and course of the disease, requires special attention. To understand how to prevent and stop a deadly disease, it is important to know the causes of its occurrence, as well as the main symptoms and methods of therapy.

The most common causative agent of meningitis is meningococcal bacillus, which is transmitted by airborne droplets. You can catch the infection anywhere: in a hospital or clinic, in public transport, in a store, and so on. Infection of children occurs, as a rule, during epidemics in kindergartens, schools and other educational institutions.

In addition, other types of bacteria are also capable of infecting the membranes of the brain, it can be staphylococcus aureus or enterovirus infection. The following diseases also act as a provocateur of the disease:

mumps;
rubella;
measles;
otitis;
sinusitis;
purulent lesions and abscesses;
furunculosis.

Often, trauma to the skull and spine can provoke reactive meningitis. The risk group includes immunocompromised children and adults with established or latent immunodeficiency.

Signs of pathology

This life-threatening illness, like other disorders, has its own characteristic symptoms. For the reactive type of the disease, the hallmark is the rate of development of symptoms.

The first clinical signs include:

clouding of consciousness;
increase in body temperature;
drowsiness;
fatigue;
fever
muscle weakness;
urge to vomit and nausea;
severe headaches radiating to the back and cervical spine;
increased sensitivity to light;
violation of the heart rhythm;
shortness of breath
paresis of the limbs;
hearing and visual impairment;
skin manifestations.

For infants, a symptom of meningitis is also swelling and tension in the region of the large fontanel.

Headaches that occur when the meninges are damaged do not go away when taking medications. Posture helps relieve soreness, which is also a kind of sign of meningitis. If, with the head thrown back and the legs bent at the knees, pressed to the stomach, it becomes easier, it can be assumed that the person has an infectious reactive meningitis.

Diagnosis and treatment

The rapid onset of symptoms is a cause for concern and immediate medical attention. Rash, fever and headaches give rise to suspicion of a meningococcal infection in a patient. Only a specialist will be able to establish an accurate diagnosis and determine the pathogen after conducting the necessary studies and laboratory tests.

The cerebrospinal fluid allows you to find out which infection is the causative agent. Its sampling is carried out using a lumbar puncture. A general blood test is also quite informative, but it only helps to determine the presence of an inflammatory process. With meningitis, leukocyte counts and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are overestimated. Reactive meningitis causes a change in the quality characteristics of urine. It can detect traces of protein, as well as blood elements.

After confirmation of the diagnosis, whether it is a child or an adult, hospitalization and intensive care are necessary.

Treatment involves the patient being in a hospital. He is given sodium salt solutions intravenously to prevent dehydration, as well as plasma substitutes to reduce bacterial activity. Reactive meningitis often accompanies acute adrenal insufficiency. In such cases, corticosteroids are prescribed. If convulsions and muscle spasms are observed among the symptoms, antispasmodics and muscle relaxants are included in the treatment regimen.

To suppress the activity of pathogenic bacteria, antibacterial therapy is carried out. Drugs that are active against infection are administered strictly by the clock in doses prescribed by the doctor. With meningitis, the penicillin group is most often used, as well as cephalosporins and macrolides.

Since the symptoms grow quite rapidly and the patient's condition worsens, the drugs are administered intravenously, and only when they improve, they switch to drugs in tablets. To prevent cerebral edema, diuretics are prescribed (most often Furosemide). If the symptoms are already obvious, Sorbilact is administered as part of the infusion therapy.

The mainstay of meningitis prevention is vaccination. Of course, it cannot fully guarantee security, but it reduces the risk of infection. During epidemics, it is recommended to refrain from visiting crowded places, as well as adhere to a number of simple rules:

observe the rules of personal hygiene;
if infection is suspected, immediately contact a medical institution;
leaving the familiar area, to study the epidemiological situation;
avoid contact with carriers of the infection.

Since the household route of transmission of pathogenic bacteria is quite common, it is recommended to avoid sharing personal hygiene items with other people so as not to get sick.

Forecast

Reactive meningitis without treatment is fatal. Only the patient who applied for help in time can count on a favorable result. The prognosis for recovery largely depends on the general condition of the body, the presence of concomitant diseases and the age of the patient.

Middle-aged people are easier to cope with the disease than the elderly and children who have reduced body defenses.

In infants, the disease develops so rapidly that therapy in most cases does not guarantee a full recovery. If the child can be saved, severe complications often appear in the form of blindness, paralysis and developmental delays.

Only a timely visit to a medical institution increases the chances of recovery and helps prevent premature death from cerebral edema.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes of the spinal cord and brain, which is accompanied by tissue edema, a violation of the movement of blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

As a result, there is an increase in intracranial pressure, as well as irritation of the cranial and spinal nerves.

There are several forms of pathology based on the nature of the course. Consider the features of reactive meningitis.

Some experts identify the reactive form of inflammation of the meninges with the fulminant course of the disease.

It is characterized by a rapid increase in symptoms. Without help, a person dies within 24 hours.

Other sources contain information about what is called reactive pathology in connection with the mechanism of development. Inflammation does not occur in the brain or spinal cord, but in another focus, after which it spreads to the central nervous system.

As such, these definitions are not mutually exclusive. Secondary meningitis can develop at lightning speed, especially in children and people with weakened immune systems.

To completely cure meningitis without subsequent complications, it is important to be able to identify the first sign of meningitis in order to start treatment on time. Consider the main signs of the disease in children, adolescents and adults.

In fulminant meningitis, symptoms develop over 24 to 48 hours. Main manifestations:

Hyperthermia. The temperature rises to 40º C or more. In the first hours, it can go astray with standard antipyretics. But then there is a sharp jump, and the drugs lose their effectiveness. At the same time, a person feels weakness, chills, aching joints, muscle pain.
Vomit. There are multiple gushing attacks. The amount eaten by the patient does not matter. Vomiting is accompanied by a sharp pain in the abdomen.
Strong headache. It is caused by an increase in intracranial pressure. Unpleasant sensations are bursting in nature. They are aggravated by sharp sounds, light, movement.
Violation of consciousness. At first, excitement and anxiety appear. A few hours later they are replaced by apathy, confusion of thoughts, in severe cases - coma.

Other possible signs:

tachycardia, hypotension, shortness of breath;
unilateral paralysis, strabismus;
earthy tone and hypothermia of the skin;
sore throat;
decrease in the amount of urine, its darkening;
swelling of the fontanel in children under one year old.

Due to irritation of the meninges, specific (meningeal) symptoms of the disease occur.

They are expressed in the painful tension of certain muscles, especially the occipital. The patient lies on one side, throws back his head and pulls his bent legs to his chest. Children may experience clonic-tonic convulsions, followed by muscle flaccidity.

A characteristic feature of reactive meningitis caused by meningococci is a change in blood counts and vascular damage, leading to the appearance of a hemorrhagic rash on the skin. First there are small spots that turn pale when pressed. Then they increase and darken, resembling "ink splashes".

In addition, DIC develops - a condition in which hemostasis is disturbed and disseminated blood coagulation begins: blood clots form in some vessels, blocking blood circulation. As a result, capillary ruptures occur, and hemorrhagic foci form on the mucous membranes and internal organs. Hemorrhage in the brain may occur, as well as gangrene of the fingers.

At the terminal stage of the disease, the temperature returns to normal. But if the patient is not helped, there are signs of respiratory and renal failure.

Reactive meningitis can be caused by various etiological factors.

Most often, inflammation of the meninges occurs as a result of toxic damage to the vessels of the brain and pleocytosis (an increase in the number of cells) in the cerebrospinal fluid.

A high concentration of decay products of microbial agents in the blood leads to shock. This condition can be observed with tuberculosis, brucellosis, syphilis, mumps, poliomyelitis, enterovirus and other infections.

Often reactive meningitis is a complication of inflammatory diseases caused by pneumococci, streptococci, fungi. The main ones are pneumonia, sinusitis, otitis, furunculosis, glomerulonephritis. Microbes spread from the primary focus with blood (lymph) flow, or penetrate directly into the brain when purulent formations rupture.

Other causes of meningitis:

traumatic brain injury and spinal injury;
introduction of antibiotics, anesthetics, drugs for chemotherapy into the spinal canal;
vaccination against measles, whooping cough, rabies, polio;
breakthrough of cysts and abscesses of the brain;
tumors of the brain, hard shell, meningeal leukemia, Behcet's disease, multiple sclerosis - all these conditions can lead to pathological fluid entering the cerebrospinal fluid;
subarachnoid hemorrhages, ischemic foci in strokes;
fetal hypoxia in childbirth occurring prematurely;
intracranial hemorrhage in premature infants.

Primary fulminant meningitis is most often caused by the penetration of meningococcus into the body. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets and can cause an epidemic. Doctors call it "unmanageable" because of the severity of the course.

life threat

Reactive meningitis is one of the most dangerous forms of the disease. Due to the rapid development of symptoms, doctors do not always have time to diagnose and prescribe treatment.

In 10-20% of cases, pathology leads to death. Causes of death - DIC, infectious-toxic shock, cerebral edema, respiratory arrest.

Inflammation of the meninges can also have long-term consequences.

The main ones are:

paralysis;
deafness;
developmental delay in children;
epilepsy;
hydrocephalus and so on.

Meningitis is an infectious disease. Infection is distributed throughout the membrane of the brain and spinal cord.

In an adult, a great danger arises a day after infection. The body of a small child is not able to fight this disease. The infection begins to progress, spreading throughout the body in a few hours.

In particularly severe cases, reactive meningitis can be fulminant. Purulent infection of the meninges can cause coma, lead to death.

The cause of the disease may be meningococcal infection. It is she who is most often transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by airborne droplets.

Other pathogens include:

group B streptococci;
viruses;
pneumococci.

On this topic

In addition, infection occurs due to the exacerbation of certain diseases:

otitis;
glomerulonephritis;
endocarditis;
sinusitis;
inflammation of the lungs.

More rare causes of the onset of the disease are:

introduction of a medical preparation into the spinal canal;
syphilis, tuberculosis;
vaccination against rabies, whooping cough, measles;
neoplasms of the central nervous system that are malignant in nature;
rupture of echinococcal cysts;
ischemic strokes;
fetal hypoxia during preterm labor;
intracranial hemorrhage in premature infants;
the formation of a purulent abscess in the subarachnoid space.

Transient meningitis is a very rapidly developing infectious disease, so doctors consider it extremely dangerous. Already in the first 24 hours, the patient must be provided with urgent assistance, because on the second day death usually occurs. When it comes to the child, then even less time. Death from reactive meningitis in a baby occurs within 3-4 hours after infection, so doctors simply do not have enough time to make this diagnosis and start treatment. Already in the first stages of the pathology, the development of inflammatory and autoimmune processes in the membranes of the brain is observed.

Reactive, or as it was also called by the people, fulminant meningitis has the following causes:

Injury to the back or head;
Diseases of a chronic nature;
Furunculosis, localized in the face and neck.

This type of meningitis sometimes occurs as a result of diseases that are characterized by an inflammatory process:

Abscess;
Carditis;
Otitis;
Pyelonephritis;
Sinusitis.

You can find out what reactive meningitis is by its principle of action. This disease is characterized by disruptions in the microcirculation of the cerebrospinal (cerebrospinal) fluid. It begins to be produced and absorbed worse and, at the same time, cerebral edema develops. Such pathological changes are not the worst.

The disease does not have a specific localization and can be found in any part of the planet, but most often suffer from this type of meningitis in poor countries, for example, in African states. The main source of the disease is another person who is its carrier. Most cases of infection occur in autumn and spring due to high humidity.

According to the data provided by the Ministry of Health, 20% of the total number of patients with meningitis suffer from its fulminant appearance. That is why it is important to detect it in time according to the symptoms characteristic of this disease:

A swollen fontanel (area on the back of the head) in an infant;
Rash localized all over the body;
Sore throat;
Temporary weakening (paresis) and paralysis of muscles;
Loss of orientation in space;
temporary deafness;
Arrhythmia (rhythm failure) of the heart;
General weakness;
Temperature jumps;
Groundless irritability;
Drowsiness;
Nausea and vomiting;
Feelings of heaviness and aches in the body;
Pain in the head, neck and back;
Thickening of muscle tissue on the back of the head and neck.

Due to the manifestations of reactive meningitis, it is convenient for the patient to be in a certain position, in which the head is thrown back, and the legs bent at the knees are tightly pressed to the stomach. It is in this position that a person becomes a little easier and the headache decreases, which cannot be reduced even with special preparations.

What kind of disease is reactive meningitis: symptoms, causes, photos, diagnosis, treatment and prevention

Meningitis is a known disease. At least the average person, without any special medical education, knows the word "meningitis" and, although the features of the disease itself are not very clear, everyone is afraid of meningitis. An ambulance doctor may say: “You have a sore throat (flu, pneumonia, enterocolitis, sinusitis, etc.).

Get to the hospital quickly." In response, he will definitely hear: “Doctor, can’t you get treatment at home?” But if the word “meningitis” is uttered, even if not categorically: “You have meningitis!”, But with doubt: “It looks like meningitis,” we can say with confidence: a normal person will not even hint at any treatment at home.

Such an attitude towards meningitis is generally understandable - even 50 years have not passed since the time when it became possible to treat it (meningitis). But if mortality from most childhood diseases has decreased during this time by 10-20 or more times, then with meningitis - only 2 times.

So what is this disease, meningitis? First of all, it should be noted that meningitis is an infectious disease. That is, certain microbes are the direct cause of the disease. Most human infections make it possible to establish a clear relationship between the name of the disease and the name of its specific pathogen.

The word "meningitis" itself means inflammation of the membranes of the brain, and the cause of this inflammation can be a huge number of microorganisms - bacteria, viruses, fungi. Infectionists, not without confidence, declare that under certain conditions, any microorganism can cause meningitis in a person of any age.

For meningitis to occur, a specific pathogen must enter the cranial cavity and cause inflammation of the meninges. Sometimes this happens when foci of infection occur in the immediate vicinity of the meninges - with purulent otitis media, for example, or with sinusitis. Often the cause of meningitis is a traumatic brain injury.

It should be noted that there are a number of, as a rule, congenital defects in the immune system that predispose to the onset of meningitis. Not surprisingly, in some families, all children get meningitis - although this disease is not so common, in comparison, for example, with tonsillitis, whooping cough, chickenpox or rubella.

Reactive meningitis is an infectious disease that affects the lining of the spinal cord and brain. This disease develops rapidly, so it is also called "fulminant meningitis". For an adult patient, the main danger occurs a day after infection, but a sick child can die a couple of hours after the bacterium enters the body.

Let us consider in more detail how and because of what it is possible to get sick with reactive meningitis.

This disease can be caused by such microorganisms:

viruses and fungi;
meningococci;
pneumococci;
group B streptococci.

Ways of transmission of reactive meningitis:

contact;
airborne;
lymphogenous;
hematogenous;
perineural;
transplacental.

When the causative agent of meningitis enters the body, it causes inflammation of the meninges and tissues. Subsequently, cerebral edema occurs, which causes a violation of microcirculation in the cerebral vessels, a decrease in the release and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid.

This leads to a rapid increase in intracranial pressure, hydrocephalus (dropsy of the brain) is formed.

The next stage is the spread of inflammation to the substance of the brain, cranial and spinal nerves.

Reactive meningitis: the essence of the disease, causes, symptoms and directions of treatment

Reactive meningitis is an acute infectious disease that affects the membranes of the brain, or spinal cord. Diseases can affect people of any age, but most often they are newborn premature babies and patients who have injuries to the head, back, and various lesions of the nervous system.

Reactive meningitis has its own peculiarity. The disease comes on unexpectedly, spontaneously. In this form, the meningitis clinic is difficult, violent and transient.

Reactive meningitis is in fact one of the most dangerous and serious forms of infection. The clinical picture of the disease is extremely transient, it is often called fulminant. Medical assistance to the patient should be urgent, urgent, since he has a lot of purulent foci in the brain area, a person can fall into a coma and die.

Reactive meningitis, causes

The causative agent of this infectious disease is, as a rule, meningococcal bacillus. The transmission of a viral infection usually occurs by airborne droplets, from the carrier of the infection - a sick person. The source of infection can be located in almost any public place: in the clinic, in the store, and when traveling by public transport. Meningitis can lead to an epidemiological situation among children attending kindergartens and collective events.

The cause of meningitis is meningococcal bacillus, and it can also be an enterovirus infection, or various other viruses. Diseases such as mumps, rubella, measles can also trigger the development of the disease. At risk are also patients who suffer from otitis media (in acute or chronic form), sinusitis, suffering from lung abscesses, patients with many boils on the face and neck, and other, other diseases.

Reactive meningitis symptoms

Reactive meningitis is manifested in the following symptoms: high body temperature (up to 40 degrees), prolonged febrile state, lasting for several days. At the same time, the patient has sharp pains in the throat, often there are bouts of vomiting, stiff neck muscles may occur.

Treatment of this disease is immediately carried out in the departments of the hospital. Complex treatment is prescribed, antibiotic therapy, corticosteroids and maintenance therapy are carried out. With timely diagnosis and proper treatment, meningitis can be managed. Mortality from this disease is about ten percent of the total number of cases of morbidity.

Antibacterial therapy is based on the empirical prescription of therapeutic drugs, since it is not always possible to determine with accuracy the nature of the causative agent of this disease. To prevent the reproduction of viruses in the body in the future and to destroy all possible pathogens, the doctor prescribes one or another antibiotic. The antibacterial course of treatment depends on the patient's condition and the characteristics of his disease.

The percentage of deaths, unfortunately, increases significantly with late diagnosis of reactive meningitis, and also if patients are elderly, debilitated people or children.

Among the population, the opinion is firmly entrenched that reactive meningitis is one that is characterized by an extremely rapid development of the clinical picture. In fact, such meningitis is called fulminant, or fulminant.

The mechanism of development of reactive meningitis is based on:

autoimmune processes;
aseptic inflammation;
allergic reactions;
damage to the vessels of the membranes by the products of the vital activity of bacteria.

There are many causes of reactive meningitis. The main ones include:

medications administered endolumbally, that is, into the spinal canal;
toxoplasmosis, syphilis, leptospirosis, tuberculosis and other diseases in which toxins of microorganisms irritate the meninges;
vaccination;
malignant neoplasms of the central nervous system;
extensive ischemic strokes;
subarachnoid hemorrhages;
rupture of echinococcal cysts;
breakthrough of a purulent abscess into the subarachnoid space.

The following infections can cause a fulminant type of meningitis:

pneumococcal;
meningococcal;
Streptococcal.

In rare cases, the pathology is caused by a fungus and even a virus. It is transmitted in the following ways:

Lymphogenic. The spread of infection occurs through the lymph;
Contact. Infection occurs due to head trauma;
Perineural. The infection passes into the brain tissue due to inflammation of the nerves;
Airborne. The disease is transmitted through the air, for example, when an infected person coughs close to a healthy one;
Hematogenous. Initially, the infection enters the bloodstream, and then reaches the brain;
Placental. This route of transmission occurs through the placenta from mother to baby.

Often there were cases when a reactive type of meningitis developed against the background of a severe head or back injury. That is why even with minor injuries in these departments, doctors advise to lie down in the hospital for a while. The disease can be transmitted by eating unwashed food or by poor hygiene, such as dirty hands. In children, meningitis appears due to tonsillitis or pneumonia.

When the perineural process has begun, when the inflammation is transferred to the brain tissue from the affected nerves, the disease proceeds very quickly. In such a situation, it is necessary to have time to stop the pathology, focusing on the emerging symptoms.

The color of urine (urine) becomes a dark shade;
There are cutting pains in the stomach;
There are changes in the composition of the blood;
Pain in the muscles increases significantly and reacts to loud sounds and light;
Hemorrhages become noticeable under the skin;
There are cramps in the lower extremities, especially in the calf muscles;
Sensitivity is impaired;
The patient becomes apathetic to the outside world;
There are tonic convulsions;
The temperature rises up to 40°

During the development of fulminant meningitis, a person often forms small blood clots that can affect the development of shock. This phenomenon has its own signs:

The skin on the feet and hands becomes closer to an ashy shade;
The patient's speech becomes confused;
There are pains in the chest area and the heartbeat quickens;
The pressure rises.

During a state of shock, the skin, despite the high temperature, remains cold. The patient feels restless and overexcited.

All the described symptoms occur in the patient in the first 24 hours of the development of reactive meningitis. If 2-3 signs are found, you should immediately go to the hospital to prevent further complications.

The first signs of meningitis

Despite the current level of development of medical science, meningitis to this day remains a disease that requires immediate medical attention.

For this reason, the first signs of meningitis, such as a sharp, very severe headache and too high sensitivity to light, should alert the doctor and his patient. Often, along with such signs, spasm of the occipital muscles is observed. In this case, the patient himself cannot reach his chin to the chest. An attempt by a doctor to bend a person's head, as a rule, leads to the appearance of sharp and severe pain and simultaneous bending of the arms and legs.

The patient may also experience an increase in body temperature, a feeling of chills, aching joints, severe sweating, photophobia, high sensitivity to extraneous sounds, a change in consciousness, which is accompanied by communication with fictional characters.

Timely treatment gives a guarantee for the recovery of a person. Therefore, when the first symptoms of the disease occur, you should immediately seek medical help. The signs of meningitis in children deserve special attention, since it is they who tolerate this infection much worse than adults.

Causes of the disease

Meningococcal bacillus is the main causative agent of meningitis. In addition to it, the causative agents of this disease can be enterovirus infection and some viruses. In addition, meningitis can develop as a complication after diseases such as mumps, measles, rubella. The risk group also includes patients suffering from sinusitis or otitis media, suffering from abscesses or having boils in the neck and face.

Reactive meningitis is a dangerous form of the disease.

Reactive meningitis is often confused with a simple respiratory illness. Remember that the symptoms of this type of disease are transient. If treatment is not started on time, then literally in 1-3 days an adult can turn into a hopeless patient, and in a small child this happens during the day.

Body temperature is about 40 degrees;

Violent pain in the throat;

Rigidity (tension, spasm) of the occipital muscles;

Severe nausea or frequent bouts of it, vomiting;

Violations of the facial and oculomotor muscles;

In some cases, partial paralysis or deafness may develop.

How to treat reactive meningitis?

Treatment of reactive meningitis should be started immediately and only in the inpatient department of the hospital! The doctor prescribes complex therapy, which includes taking corticosteroids and antibacterial drugs, as well as supporting procedures. Rapid diagnosis and modern medical methods usually make it possible to cope with this dangerous infection: today, the mortality rate from meningitis is only 10 percent.

Antibacterial therapy for reactive meningitis is based on the empirical prescription of medications due to the fact that doctors are not always able to accurately and quickly determine the type of pathogen. The course of treatment with antibacterial agents depends on the characteristics of the course of the disease and the patient's condition.

meningococcal;
streptococcal;
pneumococcal.

causative agents of meningitis

Depending on the type of pathogen, meningitis can be viral, bacterial, fungal. Some protozoa (such as amoeba and toxoplasma) can also cause meningitis.

The development of viral meningitis can accompany the course of well-known infections - chicken pox, measles, rubella, mumps (mumps), damage to the meninges occurs with influenza, with infections caused by herpes viruses. In debilitated patients, in the elderly, in infants, meningitis caused by fungi occurs (it is clear that in these situations it is the lack of immunity that plays a leading role in the onset of the disease).

Of particular importance are bacterial meningitis. Any purulent focus in the body - pneumonia, infected burns, tonsillitis, various abscesses, etc. - can cause meningitis, provided that the pathogen enters the bloodstream and reaches the meninges with blood flow. It is clear that the well-known pathogens of purulent processes (staphylococci, streptococci, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, etc.)

a slight runny nose, redness of the throat - meningococcal nasopharyngitis. It was not in vain that I used the phrase “can cause” - the fact is that the ingestion of meningococcus into the body quite rarely leads to the onset of the disease, the leading role here belongs to very special individual changes in immunity.

In this regard, two facts are easily explained: the first is the risk of developing meningitis during contacts, for example, in children's institutions is 1/1000, and the second is the frequent detection of meningococcus in the nasopharynx in perfectly healthy individuals (from 2 to 5% of children are healthy carriers). The body's inability to localize the microbe in the nasopharynx is accompanied by the penetration of meningococcus through the mucous membrane into the blood.

Sometimes meningococcus enters the bloodstream quickly and in large quantities. There is meningococcal sepsis, or meningococcemia - perhaps the most terrible of all childhood infectious diseases. The microbe releases poisons (toxins), under their influence, multiple blockage of small vessels occurs, blood clotting is disturbed, multiple hemorrhages appear on the body.

There is an amazing pattern in its dramatic nature in the occurrence of meningococcemia, which is as follows. The fact is that when a microbe enters the bloodstream, it begins to react with certain antibodies that try to destroy meningococcus. It has been proven that there is a cross-activity of a number of antibodies, that is, if there are antibodies in large quantities, for example, to streptococcus, pneumococcus, staphylococcus, then these antibodies can have an inhibitory effect on meningococcus.

So it turns out that sickly children, having chronic foci of infections, who have suffered pneumonia and many other sores, almost never get meningococcemia. The fear of meningococcemia lies precisely in the fact that an absolutely healthy and never sick child can die within 10-12 hours!

Reactive meningitis, its symptoms, causes and treatment

All the above information is not intended to intimidate readers. Meningitis is treated. But the results (duration and severity of the disease, the likelihood of complications) are closely related to the time that will be lost before the start of adequate therapy.

Obviously, the aforementioned "timing of the start of adequate therapy" depends on when human people seek medical help. Hence the urgent need for specific knowledge, so that later it would not be excruciatingly painful ...

The essence of specific knowledge regarding meningitis is that the appearance of certain signs indicating the possibility of this disease requires immediate medical attention.

Inflammation of the meninges is characterized by a number of symptoms, but many of them are not specific - that is, their (symptoms) may also occur in other diseases that are much less dangerous. Most often this happens, but the slightest suspicion of the development of meningitis does not allow you to take risks, requires immediate hospitalization and careful medical supervision.

Let us now consider the most typical situations, each of which does not allow us to exclude the development of meningitis.

If, against the background of any infectious disease - acute respiratory infections, chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, "fever" on the lips, etc., - perhaps not at the beginning of the disease (even more often not at the beginning), an intense headache appears, so severe that she worries more than all other symptoms if the headache is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
In all cases, when, against the background of elevated body temperature, there are pains in the back and neck, aggravated by moving the head.
Drowsiness, confusion, nausea, vomiting.
Convulsions of any intensity and any duration.
In children of the first year of life - fever, monotonous crying, bulging fontanel.
Any (!!!) rash against the background of elevated temperature.

In addition to the symptoms described above, some reflexes change in a very definite way, and only a doctor can detect this.

It is important to remember and understand that such frequent symptoms as vomiting, nausea and headache without fail require a medical examination - God saves the safe. Any rash associated with fever may be meningococcemia. You (or your smart neighbors) can be sure it's rubella, measles, or diathesis.

But the doctor must see the rash, and the sooner the better. If the elements of the rash look like hemorrhages, if new rashes appear quickly, if this is accompanied by vomiting and high fever, every chance should be used to ensure that the patient immediately ends up in the hospital, preferably immediately in the infectious disease. Remember: with meningococcemia, the count is not hours, but minutes.

Reactive meningitis is the most dangerous form of an infectious disease that affects parts of the spinal cord and brain. Everyone can suffer from this inflammation, however, premature newborn babies, people with head and back injuries, as well as lesions of the nervous system are most susceptible to it.

A feature of reactive meningitis is its spontaneity, surprise. The clinic proceeds rapidly and transiently. If medical assistance was provided too late, the patient falls into a coma and dies from multiple purulent foci in the brain. If doctors began to treat reactive meningitis within the first day, the consequences will not be so serious, but they can also threaten a person's life.

The rapid development of fulminant meningitis often does not leave doctors time for diagnosis, because even an adult in the absence of therapeutic measures will not live more than 1-2 days, even less time is allotted for children.

Meningitis is a dangerous infectious disease that affects the membranes of the brain, thereby causing inflammation in them. It can appear both independently and as an infection from another focus.

The disease has 5 different forms, it can be bacterial, viral, fungal. By the nature of the inflammatory process - purulent and serous.

At the slightest suspicion of the development of meningitis, an adult or a child should be taken to the hospital as soon as possible, since the disease is treated only in a hospital under the supervision of experienced doctors.

Treatment of meningitis must begin from the moment the first signs of the disease are detected, since its consequences are very dangerous for a person, regardless of age. Children are more likely to get meningitis, because their immunity is not sufficiently developed and the blood-brain barrier is imperfect, unlike adults.

Causes of meningitis

The causative agent of meningococcal infection is the bacterium meningococcus, belonging to the genus Neisseria, which contains 2 types of bacteria - meningococci and gonococci. The source of infection is carriers of the infection, which is transmitted by airborne droplets.

Group A meningococci are the most pathogenic, and when infected, they lead to the development of a severe course of meningococcal infection. In children, the cause of meningitis is mainly enteroviruses that enter the body through food, water, and dirty objects. It can develop against the background of chickenpox, measles or rubella.

The disease can be transmitted during childbirth, by airborne droplets, through mucous membranes, dirty water, food, bites of rodents and various insects. You can also get infected through kissing.

Secondary meningitis occurs when infection enters the brain from other foci of inflammation - furuncle, osteomyelitis, otitis media, etc. More than others, men and children under the age of 10 are more susceptible to this infection.

Symptoms of meningitis

This is a very dangerous disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets, which increases the risk of catching this disease. In this regard, it is important to know the first symptoms of meningitis, as well as how it manifests itself in children and adults. Timely detected meningitis and its symptoms will help to seek medical help in a timely manner, which will minimize possible complications.

The duration of the incubation period for meningitis depends on the main pathogen, in the case of meningococcal infection it is 5-6 days, in some cases the period increases to 10 days.

The symptoms of the bacterial form usually come on suddenly. Symptoms of the viral type may appear suddenly or gradually over several days.

The most common early signs of meningitis in adults are:

severe and persistent headache;
high body temperature;
pain in muscles and joints;
stiffness of the neck muscles - difficult or impossible bending of the head;
shortness of breath, frequent pulse, cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle;
increased sensitivity to light and sound;
nausea and vomiting, general weakness, loss of appetite.

Meningeal syndrome is expressed by the symptoms of Kernig and Brudzinsky.

Kernig's symptom (inability to straighten the leg bent at the hip and knee joints), pain when pressing on the eyeballs.
Symptom Brudzinsky (when you try to tilt your head forward in a prone position, the legs bend at the knees, when pressing on the pubis, the legs bend at the knee joints).

Patients lie on their side, the head is thrown back strongly, the arms are pressed to the chest, and the legs are bent at the knees and brought to the stomach (“Position of a pointing dog”). Meningitis and meningococcal septicemia can not always be immediately identified, as the symptoms are very similar to influenza. It is important to understand that the disease can be accompanied by other symptoms, which can complicate self-diagnosis.

It is not easy to suspect meningitis in a child, since he cannot yet complain about the symptoms that disturb him.

In a small child, a sign of meningitis can be a high fever, irritability, in which the baby is difficult to calm down, loss of appetite, rash, vomiting, and high-pitched crying. There may be tension in the muscles of the back, and limbs. In addition, children may cry when they are picked up.

Parents should definitely call a doctor if they find the above signs.

Treatment of meningitis

With meningitis, treatment in children and adults should be comprehensive and carried out in a hospital. To clarify the diagnosis, as well as to identify the causative agent of meningitis, a spinal puncture is performed.

Therapeutic measures for meningococcal infection include etiotropic, pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy.

Antibacterial therapy is the cornerstone of treatment of meningitis. The drug is prescribed taking into account the identified causative agent of the disease, is administered intravenously. The use of drugs will be carried out for at least a week after the person's temperature returns to normal. For the destruction of meningococcus, antibiotics of the penicillin group or their semi-synthetic analogues (amoxicillin) are most often used.
Anti-inflammatory and antihistamine drugs are prescribed to alleviate the symptoms of the disease, reduce the risk of complications, including an allergic reaction to any antibiotic
In the case of cerebral edema, dehydration is performed with diuretics (diuretics). When using diuretics, it should be borne in mind that they contribute to the leaching of calcium from the body.

Depending on the clinical form of meningitis, the severity of the course of meningococcal infection, the combination of drugs and therapeutic approaches are different. After completion of treatment in a hospital, it is necessary to continue treatment on an outpatient basis. In the case of correct and timely treatment, the probability of a fatal outcome is no more than 2%.

In most cases, meningococcal vaccine, Haemophilus influenzae type B vaccine, triple vaccination against measles, rubella and mumps are used. The meningitis vaccine is valid for 3 years and is 80% effective. Children under 18 months of age are not vaccinated.

Prevention

The main preventive measure today is still vaccination. You can get vaccinated if you wish, it is not mandatory. Non-specific prevention consists of avoiding contact with adults or children who show signs of the disease.

The consequences will depend on how the disease proceeded in a person.

High body temperature, chills. In patients with reactive meningitis, a two-hump temperature curve is observed, that is, an increase in body temperature to 40 degrees at the onset of the disease is quickly amenable to action. antipyretic drugs, and after a few hours, with a sharp repeated jump in temperature, antipyretics are already completely ineffective.
intense headache, bursting, all over the head, aggravated by movement, sudden noise or light stimulus.
Vomiting, it occurs from the first hours of the disease, debilitating, repeated, not associated with food intake.
Muscle pain, in young children, the occurrence of clonic-tonic convulsions is also possible.
The characteristic symptoms of meningitis - meningeal signs, stiff neck, Kernig's symptoms, Brudzinsky's symptoms may not always be present all in the complex (see signs of meningitis).
Signs of shock: tachycardia, arterial hypotension, cold skin at high body temperature, the patient's feet and hands become ashy.
Excitement, anxiety, which appear in the first hours of the disease, are replaced confusion, prostration and coma. There is shortness of breath, hypoxemia, oliguria, and other manifestations of respiratory distress syndrome.
Some patients die from serious neurological changes caused by increased intracranial pressure.
The skin becomes gray in color, with a meningococcal infection, a rash appears and spreads rapidly, which is first maculopapular, and then becomes hemorrhagic. The rash is localized most often on the lower extremities, on the body, on the buttocks and in the area of large joints.
DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome) develops in the absence of adequate treatment and an increase in the manifestations of septic shock. In this case, the rash acquires a necrotic, confluent character, collaptoid spots appear, develops gangrene of fingers and toes, hemorrhages occur in the sclera, oral mucosa, conjunctiva, the death of the patient occurs from multiple organ failure and refractory septic shock.

Course of therapy

In most cases, if the patient went to the doctor on time, the disease could be stopped. First of all, it will be necessary to conduct an urgent diagnosis. It includes a general examination, questioning the patient and analysis of the composition of the cerebrospinal fluid, and it is taken with the help of a lumbar puncture. The last point is especially important and it is on it that the doctor will make his conclusion and, if necessary, prescribe a course of therapy.

There are complications that arise after the course of treatment, namely:

Septic shock (reduced blood circulation of tissues);
Hyponatremia (low concentration of sodium in the blood);
Increased blood clotting.

If such a terrible disease is diagnosed, it is necessary to urgently begin a course of treatment in order to prevent irreversible consequences. For this purpose, doctors usually use the following groups of medicines:

Muscle relaxants;
Antipyretics;
Antispasmodics.

Saline solutions, plasma substitutes, and diazepam may also be useful in treatment. If the patient has kidney failure, the doctor will prescribe him glucocorticosteroids in the form of injections. The following classes of antibiotics are often prescribed for reactive meningitis:

Cephalosporins;
macrolides;
Penicillins.

Due to the lightning-fast development of the disease, medicines are used in the form of injections. In especially advanced cases, drugs are injected directly into the spinal canal.

With meningitis, swelling of the brain often occurs. To prevent it, Furasemide and Sorbilact should be taken. This should be done in conjunction with the main treatment.

It is impossible to cure pathology while being at home. Self-medication will not only worsen the patient's condition, but can also lead to death. Folk remedies in such a situation should be taken only after the disease has been stopped. Among them, decoctions of linden and wild rose are best suited.

The reactive type of meningitis is an extremely dangerous disease that can be fatal as early as on the 2nd day of development. Such a lightning-fast spread of infection should be stopped immediately after the onset of the first symptoms characteristic of the disease.

symptoms that characterize the presence of infection;
pronounced signs of meningitis;
deviation in structure cerebrospinal liquids.

Symptoms such as a rash and fever are already required to alert a person. The patient must be urgently hospitalized in a hospital, where he will receive the necessary intensive care. After passing the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, specialists determine the causative agent of the disease. This fact allows you to make an accurate diagnosis, start effective treatment.

The patient gives a general urine test. With meningitis, it is dark in color with a content of protein and blood. The characteristic presence of leukocytes is observed.

It should be noted that a doctor of even the highest qualification can diagnose meningitis with absolute certainty only in one case - when the symptoms of irritation of the meninges are combined with a typical rash, which is described above. In all other cases, the diagnosis can only be suspected with varying degrees of probability.

The only way to confirm or rule out meningitis is a spinal (lumbar) puncture. The fact is that a special cerebrospinal fluid circulates in the brain and spinal cord - cerebrospinal fluid. With any inflammation of the brain and (or) its membranes, inflammatory cells accumulate in the CSF, the type of CSF (normally colorless and transparent) often changes - it becomes cloudy.

Unfortunately, at a purely philistine level, there is a very widespread opinion about the enormous dangers that a lumbar puncture is fraught with. In fact, these fears are absolutely unfounded - the puncture of the spinal canal is carried out between the lumbar vertebrae at the level where no nerve trunks leave the spinal cord, so there are no mythical paralysis after this manipulation.

From a legal point of view, a doctor is required to perform a lumbar puncture if there is a real suspicion of meningitis. It should be noted that the puncture has not only diagnostic, but also therapeutic expediency. With any meningitis, as a rule, there is an increase in intracranial pressure, the consequence of the latter is a severe headache.

Taking a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid can reduce pressure and significantly alleviate the patient's condition. During a puncture, antibiotics are often injected into the spinal canal. So, for example, with tuberculous meningitis, the only chance to save the patient is frequent (often daily) punctures, during which a special version of streptomycin is injected into the spinal canal.

meningeal symptoms

When examining the patient, positive symptoms of irritation of the meninges are observed. The occipital muscles are tense, the patient's head is thrown back. Children under one year old often take the pose of a pointing dog - on their side, with their heads thrown back and their legs pulled up to their stomachs. If you overcome the stiffness of the occipital muscles and try to bring the patient's chin to the chest, bending of the legs in the knee and hip joints is observed.

The same reaction occurs in response to pressure on the pubis. These are the upper and lower symptoms of Brudzinsky. Kernig's symptom is that after the patient in the prone position bends the leg at the hip and knee joints at a right angle, its extension becomes very painful and almost impossible.

All patients undergo lumbar puncture and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid. At the same time, an increase in intracranial pressure, macroscopic and microscopic changes are noted, which differ depending on the cause that caused the disease.

If fulminant meningitis is suspected, a diagnosis should be made immediately. This can only be done in a hospital setting. A person will definitely need to contact a specialist as soon as the first signs are noticed.

A spinal puncture is performed, in which fluid is taken from the lumbar region for analysis. It will be possible to detect the pathogen that led to the disease. A complete blood count is performed. With the appearance of reactive meningitis, the ESR will be increased, while the number of leukocytes will increase.

Urine is taken for analysis, with inflammation of the brain, it acquires a dark shade. During the study, protein will be found in it, as well as the presence of blood. An examination of the fundus, radiography of the head area, electroencephalography, and CT are performed.

Any of the signs of meningitis, especially the appearance of a rash, fever, catarrhal phenomena, should be suspicious in relation to meningococcal infection. A sick child or adult should be urgently hospitalized for intensive care.

Intramuscularly administered strictly hourly maximum doses of antibiotics, most often cephalosporins, penicillins or macrolides. When the patient is in shock, all drugs are administered only intravenously. With an increase in the severity of the patient's condition, antimicrobial agents are injected directly into the spinal canal. In order to avoid cerebral edema, furosemide is prescribed, and in the presence of clinical symptoms of cerebral edema, sorbilact is included in the infusion therapy.

Ways of transmission of infection

Meningitis has a number of transmission routes:

airborne;
contact;
hematogenous;
perineural;
transplacental;
lymphogenous.

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Reactive meningitis can appear as a result of a spinal, craniocerebral injury.

Infectious pathogens, being inside, provoke the process of inflammation of the brain tissue. The resulting edema is the cause of improper microcirculation in the cerebral vessels. The absorption of cerebrospinal fluid is slowed down. In an infected person, intracranial pressure gradually begins to increase.

Reactive meningitis: mortal danger and consequences

A feature of this disease is its suddenness, spontaneity, transience. Therefore, it is also called "fulminant meningitis" - it can defeat adults in one day, and small children in a few hours. This is what distinguishes it from other forms of meningitis.

Causes of the disease

The causative agent of the disease is meningococcal bacillus, which spreads by airborne droplets. Therefore, you can get infected by visiting a clinic, while riding in transport, a store, and so on.

In children and the elderly, the body is weak, so the prognosis for them is often unfavorable. The disease progresses very quickly. Timely assistance in the form of therapeutic treatment does not always save from death.

The passage of therapy in middle-aged patients is more successful. A correct diagnosis can be the key to a speedy recovery.

Disseminated intravascular coagulation syndrome is a mortal danger for those infected with reactive meningitis. As a result, blood clots form in many vessels. Blockage of the blood supply can lead to the death of many organs. When blood vessels rupture, hemorrhages occur in the brain.

Causes of the disease

Prevention

As a preventive measure, to prevent infection and the development of meningitis in adults and children, vaccination should be performed. However, a single vaccination does not give a 100% guarantee of completely protecting the body from the onset of the disease. To do this, you need to take a number of important preventive actions:

complete isolation of the vaccinated;
compliance with all prescribed rules of personal hygiene;
avoiding contact with people infected with meningitis;
restriction of travel to dangerous places. Complete all vaccinations before sending to areas where there is a large increase in the disease.

Reactive meningitis is a dangerous form of the disease. The main difference between reactive meningitis and other forms is that inflammation of the lining of the brain occurs against the background of infectious diseases of extracerebral localization or may be the result of medication, stroke, brain tumors, and other processes.

Due to the rapid progression of the disease, there are severe complications leading to death.

Feature of reactive meningitis

Meningitis is an infectious disease. Infection is distributed throughout the membrane of the brain and spinal cord.

In an adult, a great danger arises a day after infection. The body of a small child is not able to fight this disease. The infection begins to progress, spreading throughout the body in a few hours.

In particularly severe cases, reactive meningitis can be fulminant. Purulent infection of the meninges can cause coma, lead to death.

Causes of the disease

The cause of the disease may be meningococcal infection. It is she who is most often transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person by airborne droplets.

Other pathogens include:

group B streptococci;
viruses;
pneumococci.

In addition, infection occurs due to the exacerbation of certain diseases:

otitis;
glomerulonephritis;
endocarditis;
sinusitis;
inflammation of the lungs.

More rare causes of the onset of the disease are:

insertion into the spinal canal medical drug;
syphilis, tuberculosis;
vaccination against rabies, whooping cough, measles;
neoplasms of the central nervous systems that are malignant in nature;
gap echinococcal cyst;
ischemic strokes;
hypoxia fetus during premature birth;
intracranial hemorrhages in premature babies;
education purulent abscess in the subarachnoid space.

Symptoms

The first manifestations of reactive meningitis are:

increased temperature;
aching headache pain;
weakness;
problems with orientation;
drowsiness;
irritability;
punctate rashes on the body;
high susceptibility to sound, light phenomena;
pain in the muscles;
nausea;
hardening occipital muscles;
tingling in the throat;
swelling fontanel in children.

Other signs of meningitis:

In order to relieve a headache, a person automatically presses lap to the stomach. The back of the head is tilted back. These actions are typical for people with this disease.
At the initial stage of the disease temperature overshoots 40 degrees. After taking antipyretic drugs for 10 minutes, the temperature drops. As soon as the action of antibiotics ends, the high temperature rises again. When you try again to reduce it, the drugs do not help.
Instant damage nerves cause strabismus. There is paralysis of the face and limbs.
Appearance vomiting observed during the first hours of infection.
emergence shock states.
At elevated temperatures, the skin cold.
In the early stages of infection, a person is in excited condition. After some time, consciousness becomes confused, then coma occurs.
The skin becomes light gray colors. A spotty rash appears, which is hemorrhagic in nature.
Children are more likely to develop clonic-tonic convulsions.

Ways of transmission of infection

Meningitis has a number of transmission routes:

airborne;
contact;
hematogenous;
perineural;
transplacental;
lymphogenous.

Reactive meningitis can appear as a result of a spinal, craniocerebral injury.

Diagnostics

The basis of diagnosis is lumbar puncture. This procedure helps to identify and determine the degree of infection. It is this process that can identify reactive meningitis among many clinical diseases.

Together with the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid, other diagnostic methods are used:

computer tomography;
radiography skulls;
eye examination bottom;
electroencephalography.

To make a diagnosis, the patient must have the main indicators:

symptoms indicating the presence infections;
pronounced signs meningitis;
deviation in structure cerebrospinal liquids.

The patient gives a general urine test. With meningitis, it is dark in color with a content of protein and blood. The characteristic presence of leukocytes is observed.

Treatment

The process of treatment of reactive meningitis is carried out in a hospital and is extremely complex. In the most severe cases, specialists resort to resuscitation measures.

Depending on the degree of infection, therapy for each person is prescribed individually:

In the first period of the disease, the patient is prescribed bed mode. Prescribe antibiotics, corticosteroid therapy, supportive drugs. It is necessary to use clean water more often. At a certain time, the patient is given intramuscular or intravenous injections of antibiotics.
If the infected is in shock, medicinal drugs are administered exclusively intravenously.
With the progression of reactive meningitis antimicrobial funds are injected into the spinal canal. To prevent cerebral edema, furosemide is prescribed. With the formation of an edematous state, the patient is prescribed sorbilact.

In case of any suspicions, a rapid deterioration in health, it is necessary to immediately see a specialist. It is impossible to treat this disease at home. All actions must be performed by qualified doctors. Only in this case, a person can stay alive.

Consequences

Fleeting meningitis is a serious disease that is fatal for many who become infected. Timely diagnosis, performing intensive therapy does not in all cases help to avoid the severe consequences of this disease.

In an infected person, the concentration of sodium ions in the blood rapidly decreases. There is poor blood clotting. Perhaps the appearance of septic shock, paralysis.

Even if you start treatment at the first stage of the disease, the result is rarely positive.

The passage of therapy in middle-aged patients is more successful. A correct diagnosis can be the key to a speedy recovery.

Prevention

complete insulation vaccinated;
adherence to all assigned rules of personal hygiene;
non-admission contact with people infected with meningitis;
limitation trips to dangerous places. Complete all vaccinations before sending to areas where there is a large increase in the disease.