Bacterial Meningitis: Pathophysiology, Manifestations, Laboratory Investigations, and Treatment

Neurological Disorder
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Neurological Disorder
Neurological disorders is a collective term assigned to all the ailments that affect the brain, nerves as well as spinal cord; consequently impairing the nervous system functionality. These disorders usually affect individuals across age groups, but most of them are usually more pronounced amongst the elderly portion of the population. Some of the most common of such diseases include epilepsy, Parkinson’s, and meningitis. Meningitis is a medical disorder that causes damage to the brain and spinal cord when the meninges are inflamed. Medical practitioners must take time to distinguish whether a patient is suffering from bacterial and viral meningitis since both types of meningitis are treated differently, have different pathophysiology and are caused by distinct factors (Wall et al., 2021). It is also important to differentiate between the two, since the response time to each might differ and also the treatment regime greatly differs between them. For instance, meningitis caused by bacteria has been documented to be quite lethal and therefore needs a fast medical response.
Bacterial meningitis occurs when bacteria infect the cerebrospinal fluid in the brain and spinal cord. Research studies have shown that three types of bacteria are commonly known to prevail in meningitis patients. These include streptococcus pneumoniae, Hemophilus influence and Neisseria meningitidis. Notably, research also shows that bacterial meningitis can be transmitted from one person to another via contact with the sick person's respiratory secretions such as saliva and mucus as well as touching contaminated surfaces and water. The disease can also be spread through food, saliva, or from mother to child. It can also be caused by injuries, certain drugs used by a person or other types of infections within the body. Bacterial meningitis is deadly since it results in rapid deterioration of the patient, which might even result in fatality if not checked quickly. Notably, individual immunity is crucial in determining whether someone will contract bacterial meningitis after exposure to the bacteria. Those with strong immunity are likely not to get sick while children and the elderly have higher chances of contacting the bacteria and consequently becoming sick. Nonetheless, it would still be medically advisable to treat the disease rather than depending on one’s immunity to fight it; once the symptoms start showing.
The pathophysiology of bacterial meningitis happens when the protective membranes in the brain and spinal cord are inflamed due to bacterial infection. The bacteria enters the bloodstrea...