Meningitis

Data gathering

  • Red flags – fever/neck stiffness/headache/vomiting/photophobia/floppy/fitting
  • Examination – temp, HR, CRT, cvs/abdo/resp, neck, rash

 

Clinical management

  • Explanation
    • swelling of tissues around the brain due to infection, needs urgent treatment hence antibiotic injection at GP before A+E. Confirmed by taking some fluid around the spinal cord.
  • Treatment
    • IM benzylpen
      • <1 year old – 300mg
      • 1-9 years old – 600mg
      • >9 years – 1200mg
    • Prophylaxis to contacts
    • Notifiable disease