csf findings in bacterial and viral meningitis

Meningitis can lead to death, depending on the cause. Cancer-related meningitis requires therapy for the specific cancer. In some cases, no treatment may be required because the condition can resolve on its own. Noninfectious meningitis due to allergic reaction or autoimmune disease may be treated with corticosteroids. However, these medicines can have serious side effects, so treatment may be deferred until a laboratory can confirm that the cause is fungal. A combination of specific antibiotics can treat tuberculous meningitis. Antifungal medicines treat fungal meningitis. Treatment for chronic meningitis is based on the underlying cause. If the cause of your meningitis is unknown, you may start antiviral and antibiotic treatment while the cause is determined. If a herpes virus caused your meningitis, an antiviral medicine is available. Your health care provider may prescribe corticosteroids to reduce swelling in the brain and a medicine to control seizures.

Pain medicine to help reduce fever and relieve body aches.

Treatment of mild cases of viral meningitis usually includes: Viral meningitisĪntibiotics can't cure viral meningitis, and most cases improve on their own in several weeks. Your provider may drain any infected sinuses or mastoids - the bones behind the outer ear that connect to the middle ear. Your health care provider may recommend a broad-spectrum antibiotic until the exact cause of the meningitis is known. The antibiotic or combination of antibiotics depends on the type of bacteria causing the infection. This helps to ensure recovery and reduce the risk of complications, such as brain swelling and seizures. Bacterial meningitisĪcute bacterial meningitis must be treated right away with intravenous antibiotics and sometimes corticosteroids. The treatment depends on the type of meningitis you or your child has. Or you may be given a test to check for antibodies against certain viruses to determine the specific cause and proper treatment. If viral meningitis is suspected, you may need a DNA-based test known as a polymerase chain reaction amplification. In people with meningitis, the fluid often shows a low sugar level along with an increased white blood cell count and increased protein.Īnalyzing the fluid also may help identify which bacterium caused the meningitis. A definitive diagnosis of meningitis requires a spinal tap to collect cerebrospinal fluid. X-rays or CT scans of the chest or sinuses may show an infection that may be associated with meningitis. Computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the head may show swelling or inflammation. Then it will be studied under a microscope to see whether bacteria are present. A sample also may be placed on a slide and stained. A blood sample is placed in a special dish to see if it grows microorganisms such as bacteria. Alternative definitions of PMN predominance from 60% to 90% were not useful as a clinical indicator of bacterial disease. The positive predictive value of a PMN predominance for aseptic disease is 81% but the negative predictive value is 3%. The sensitivity of a PMN predominance for aseptic meningitis is 57% whereas the specificity is 10%. The ability of a PMN predominance to differentiate between aseptic and bacterial meningitis was assessed. Fifty-one percent of the 53 patients with aseptic meningitis and duration of illness >24 hours had a PMN predominance.

The percentage of PMNs in the CSF in patients with aseptic meningitis was not statistically different for patients who had a lumbar puncture performed either within or beyond 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. Fifty-seven percent of cases of aseptic meningitis had a PMN predominance. The patients ranged in age from 30 days to 18 years 61% were male. One hundred fifty-eight cases of meningitis were reviewed: 138 were aseptic and 20 were bacterial.

Csf findings in bacterial and viral meningitis