World Meningitis Day 2024 is on Wednesday, April 24, 2024: do i have meningitis?

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Kasey, if you're still alive and reading this reply, then NO, you do not have meningitis which progresses rapidly to hospitalization and possible death within a day or two. You may be having a head cold with possible sinusitis. BTW, while the "bad strep" if untreated with effective antibiotics could lead to heart or kidney damage, it does not lead to meningitis. There is an available meningitis vaccine for one type of bacteria for individuals who live in college or military dorms, or who travel to certain countries of the world. You could ask your doctor about it if it worries you. I have gotten the vaccine for travel to Africa and India.

treatment of meningitis?

Treatment

Bacterial meningitis

Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency and has a high mortality rate if untreated.[5] All suspected cases, however mild, need emergency medical attention. Empiric antibiotics must be started immediately, even before the results of the lumbar puncture and CSF analysis are known. Antibiotics started within 4 hours of lumbar puncture will not significantly affect lab results.

The choice of antibiotic depends on local advice. In most of the developed world, the most common organisms involved are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis: first line treatment in the UK is a third-generation cephalosporin (such as ceftriaxone or cefotaxime). In those under 3 years of age, over 50 years of age, or immunocompromised, ampicillin should be added to cover Listeria monocytogenes. In the U.S. and other countries with high levels of penicillin resistance, the first line choice of antibiotics is vancomycin and a carbapenem (such as meropenem). In sub-Saharan Africa, oily chloramphenicol or ceftriaxone are often used because only a single dose is needed in most cases.

Staphylococci and gram-negative bacilli are common infective agents in patients who have just had a neurosurgical procedure. Again, the choice of antibiotic depends on local patterns of infection: cefotaxime and ceftriaxone remain good choices in many situations, but ceftazidime is used when Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a problem, and intraventricular vancomycin is used for those patients with intraventricular shunts because of high rates of staphylococcal infection. In patients with intracerebral prosthetic material (metal plates, electrodes or implants, etc.) then sometimes chloramphenicol is the only antibiotic that will adequately cover infection by Staphylococcus aureus (cephalosporins and carbapenems are inadequate under these circumstances).

Once the results of the CSF analysis are known along with the Gram-stain and culture, empiric therapy may be switched to therapy targeted to the specific causative organisms. Because antibiotic-resistance is a prevalent problem, information from drug susceptibility testing should also be gathered.

Neisseria meningitidis (Meningococcus) can usually be treated with a 7-day course of IV antibiotics:

Penicillin-sensitive -- penicillin G or ampicillin

Penicillin-resistant -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime

Prophylaxis for close contacts (contact with oral secretions) -- rifampin 600 mg bid for 2 days (adults) or 10 mg/kg bid (children). Rifampin is not recommended in pregnancy and as such, these patients should be treated with single doses of ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, or ceftriaxone

Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pneumococcus) can usually be treated with a 2-week course of IV antibiotics:

Penicillin-sensitive -- penicillin G

Penicillin-intermediate -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime

Penicillin-resistant -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime + vancomycin

Listeria monocytogenes is treated with a 3-week course of IV ampicillin + gentamicin.

Gram negative bacilli -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime

Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- ceftazidime

Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-sensitive -- nafcillin

Methicillin-resistant -- vancomycin

Streptococcus agalactiae -- penicillin G or ampicillin

Haemophilus influenzae -- ceftriaxone or cefotaxime

Viral meningitis

Unlike bacteria, viruses cannot be killed by antibiotics. Patients with very mild viral meningitis may only have to spend a few hours in a hospital, while those who have a more serious infection may be hospitalized for many more days for supportive care. Patients with mild cases, which often cause only flu-like symptoms, may be treated with fluids, bed rest (preferably in a quiet, dark room), and analgesics for pain and fever. The physician may prescribe anticonvulsants such as phenytoin to prevent seizures and corticosteroids to reduce brain inflammation. If inflammation is severe, pain medicine and sedatives may be prescribed to make the patient more comfortable.

Fungal meningitis

This form of meningitis is rare in healthy people, but is a higher risk in those who have AIDS. Antifungals to combat the infection are usually administered, as well as fluids and medicine to control pain and fever. Often the pathogen in these cases is Cryptococcus

what is a good risk diagnosis for meningitis?

not sure i understand your question.

Factors that may increase the risk for meningitis include:

Genetics. Some people may inherit the tendency to get meningitis. If they come in contact with organisms that can cause the infection, they may be likely to get infected.

Being male. Males get meningitis more often than females.

Age. In general, babies, young children, young adults, and older adults are at highest risk of getting meningitis.

Crowded living conditions. People in camps, schools, and college dormitories are more likely than others to get meningitis caused by organisms that can spread easily from one person to another. For example:

College freshmen. Freshmen who live in dormitories have a slightly greater chance of getting meningitis compared with other people their age. However, the risk in college students overall is as low as in people their age who are not going to college.

Children attending day care centers. Children who attend day care centers are more likely than other children to get meningitis caused by organisms that are easily spread through stool or contaminated hands or water.

Exposure to insects and rodents. People who live in or visit areas of the world where insects or rodents carry organisms that cause meningitis risk getting the disease.

Not getting the mumps (MMR), Haemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib), and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) immunizations before age 2.

Being an older adult who has not gotten the pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV) immunization and/or does not have a working spleen, which is part of the body's immune system.

Travel to areas where meningitis is common. For example, people traveling to the "meningitis belt" in sub-Saharan Africa should receive the meningococcal vaccine.Children attending day care centers. Children who attend day care centers are more likely than other children to get meningitis caused by organisms that are easily spread through stool or contaminated hands or water.

Exposure to insects and rodents. People who live in or visit areas of the world where insects or rodents carry organisms that cause meningitis risk getting the disease.

Not getting the mumps (MMR), Haemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib), and pneumococcal conjugate (PCV) immunizations before age 2.

Being an older adult who has not gotten the pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV) immunization and/or does not have a working spleen, which is part of the body's immune system.

Travel to areas where meningitis is common. For example, people traveling to the "meningitis belt" in sub-Saharan Africa should receive the meningococcal vaccine.