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Meningitis is a severe inflammation of the
meninges or inner lining of the brain andspinal cord.
This may result from invasion of bacteria or virus into
meninges. The infection usually spreads from the base of
the brain up over the surface and down the spinal cord .
It appears to reach the inside from the throat and nose
via the bloodstream. It is perhaps the most serious of
all the acute diseases of childhood.
Epidemic meningitis sometimes occurs in densely populated
areas during the cold season. It is also known as spotted
fever, as rashes appear in meningo coccas meningitis upon
the face and body.Symptoms
In most children
who develop meningitis, the source of infection is from
throat, nose, ear or lungs. But if they are subjected to
damp cold and overcrowded atmosphere, the organism is
liable to pass into the blood stream. The incubation
period is shorft , ranging between one and five days, and
the onset is sudden. Children with this disease usually
have a high fever and they may go into convulsions. They
have severe headache and pain and stiffness in the neck
and back. The child tends to lie in a curled position
with the knees drawn up towards the chin and the eyes
turn away from light. He becomes drowsy and confused and
may become unconscious. There may also be a skin rash and
an obstinate constipation. Vomiting is common in
meningitis.
Causes
Meningitis usually
follows an attack of otitis media ( middle ear disease)
or mastoiditis ( infection of bone projecting behind the
ear), or brain abscesses or even tonsilittis. Any skull
fracture or penetrating head injury may also result in
meningitis. Sometimes, tuberculosis may spread to the
brain and cause the disease. In case of epidemic
meningitis, the germs are apparently spread by persons
who have a milk sore throat or cold.
Treatment
The child with
meningitis should be placed on complete bed rest and
nursed very carefully. He should be given the juice of an
orange diluted in a glass of warm water several times
daily for the first few days of treatment. This will
provide energy, increase urinary output and promote body
resistance against infection, thereby fecilitating
recovery. Co-operative children should be given
warm-water anema daily during this period to cleanse the
bowels. If constipation is present and the child is
reluctant to take the warm -water enema, he should be
given glycerine suppository.
Cold compresses may be applied to the head in case the
temperature rises above 103 o F. If this
method does not succeed, cold pack may be applied to the
whole body. The procedure is to wring out a sheet or
other large square piece of linen material in cold water,
wrap it twice right rough the body and legs of the
patient. This pack should be applied every three hours
during the day while temperature is high and kept on for
an hour or so each time.
After the temperature has come down to normal and the
tongue has cleared, the child may be given liquid foods
and fresh juicy fruits like apple, pear, grapes, orange,
pineapple, peach and melon for further two or three days.
For drinks, unsweetened lemon water or plain water,
either hot or cold, may be given. Thereafter, he may be
gradually allowed to embark upon a well- balanced diet,
according to his age. The emphasis should be on whole
grain cereals, fresh fruits and raw or lightly-cooked
vegetables. Normal feeding should be restored to only
after complete recovery.
The grown-up children should take neutral immersion bath
as this bath is very useful in organic diseases of brain
and spinal cord, including meningitis. This bath should
be taken for 20 to 30 minutes at a water temperature
ranging from 26 o to 28 o C ( 92 o
to 98 o F) before retiring at night. A cold
wet cloth should be applied to the head and forehed
before entering the bath. This bath will equalize the
circulatin so as to reduce the amount of blood in the
brain and spinal cord. Application of hot fomentation to
the spine every two hours with spinal ice bag during
intervals will also be beneficial in the treatment of
meningitis.
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