Meningitis

Body Systems › Neurologic System › Meningitis
Neurology Clinical reference

Meningitis

Meningitis is inflammation of meninges. Bacterial meningitis (N. meningitidis, S. pneumoniae) is a medical emergency — antibiotics within 1 hour of presentation. Classic triad: fever, neck stiffness, photophobia.

meningitis bacterial meningitis viral meningitis meningococcal disease
Terms
6
ICD-10
3
Evidence
5
Trials
1
Latest evidence

Latest evidence

Core official overview

What this condition is

Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. There are several types of meningitis. The most common is viral meningitis. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare but can be deadly. It usually starts with bacteria that cause a cold-like infection. It can cause stroke, hearing…

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Condition family & coding

Terms and documentation support

Condition matches & synonyms

Terms

Related diagnostic names, synonyms, and documentation wording that may appear in clinical references and charting.

Meningitis Arachnoiditis Meningitis tuberculosis Meningitis - aseptic Meningitis - fungal Meningitis - amebic

ICD-10 quick links

Codes

For study support, terminology recognition, and documentation language.

G00.8 Other bacterial meningitis G00.9 Bacterial meningitis, unspecified G01 Meningitis in bacterial diseases classified elsewhere
Common tests

Tests performed

LP (CSF analysis — stat) Blood cultures (before LP if possible) CT head (before LP if papilledema/focal deficit) CBC BMP Procalcitonin CRP
Common medications

Recognize the drug and the class

Ceftriaxone 2g IV q12h (empiric) Vancomycin (MRSA coverage) Ampicillin (Listeria coverage >50 yr) Dexamethasone 0.15 mg/kg q6h × 4d (before/with antibiotics) Acyclovir (viral HSV coverage)
Related nursing diagnoses

NANDA diagnoses & care plans

Use these direct links to open nursing diagnoses and care-plan support related to Meningitis.

Acute Pain Hyperthermia Risk for Injury (seizures) Impaired Sensory Perception
Recruiting clinical trials

Additional official research

RECRUITING N/A

Fosfomycin I.v. for Treatment of Severely Infected Patients

NCT02979951

The purpose of this European, multicentric, prospective, non-interventional study is to document and evaluate the efficacy and safety of the treatment of severely infected patients with intravenously administered fosfomycin, including pati…

Official education links

Plain-language study support

Useful for plain-language reinforcement and quick review.

Meningitis Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. There are several types of meningitis. The most common is viral meningitis. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare but can be deadly. It usually starts with bacteria that cause a cold-like infection. It can cause stroke, hearing… HIV and Infections Having HIV/AIDS weakens your body's immune system. It destroys the white blood cells that fight infection. This puts you at risk for opportunistic infections (OIs). OIs are serious infections that take advantage of your weak immune system. These infections are less common and less severe in healthy people.There are many types of OIs:Bacterial infections, including tuberculosis and a serious related disease, Mycobact…