What is an aseptic meningitis?

What is an aseptic meningitis?

The term aseptic meningitis refers to patients who have clinical and laboratory evidence for meningeal inflammation with negative routine bacterial cultures. The most common causes are the enteroviruses [1].

What is used to treat aseptic meningitis?

No specific treatment exists for most of the viruses that cause meningitis; therefore, management, for the most part, is supportive and includes analgesics, antinausea medications, intravenous fluids, and prevention and treatment of complications.

Can aseptic meningitis recur?

Recurrent benign lymphocytic meningitis is a recurring, typically innocuous, painful form of aseptic meningitis. This syndrome is associated with transient neurological symptoms in one-half of afflicted patients.

What are the five types of meningitis?

There are actually five types of meningitis — bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal, and non-infectious — each classified by the cause of the disease.

Can you get aseptic meningitis twice?

Can you get meningitis more than once? It is very unusual for anyone to have meningitis more than once, but it is possible. Most people some develop immunity to the organism that has caused their disease.

Is aseptic meningitis the same as viral meningitis?

Although it is usually caused by certain viruses, it has a number of other etiologies as well, both infectious and noninfectious. Hence, the term aseptic meningitis is no longer synonymous with viral meningitis, although the two are still often used interchangeably.

How is aseptic meningitis contracted?

For viral aseptic meningitis, risk factors include those for the specific agents. Enteroviruses can be transmitted by exposure to an infected individual’s secretions entering the oral cavity through sneezing or oral fecal contact.

What is the prognosis of aseptic meningitis?

Prognosis Generally, the prognosis for aseptic meningitis is very good with significantly less mortality and morbidity than bacterial meningitis. There is a small risk for residual cognitive impairment in adults with aseptic meningitis, including subtle deficits in learning, memory, attention span and cognitive speed.

What are the precautions for meningitis?

Wash your hands often with soap and water. It’s possible to spread the disease by kissing, sneezing, coughing, or sharing utensils or toothbrushes. If you come into close contact with someone with meningitis, call your doctor. Depending on the type of meningitis, she may suggest you take an antibiotic as a precaution.

Is meningitis a contagious disease?

In general, when the patient is secreting or producing viruses or bacteria, they are considered contagious. When the patient stops secreting or producing infectious agents is when meningitis is no longer contagious. Viral caused meningitis may be contagious from three days after infection starts to about 10 days after the symptoms develop.

What is a septic meningitis?

Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that envelope and protect the brain and spinal cord. Diagnosis usually involves performing a spinal tap to determine if infection is present in the cerebrospinal fluid. Meningitis caused by bacteria in the blood stream is referred to as septic meningitis.