Common symptoms of meningitis are headache and stiff neck accompanied by fever, confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting, and sensitivity to light (photophobia) or loud noises (phonophobia). Children usually only show nonspecific symptoms, such as irritability and drowsiness. Red rash may provide clues cause of meningitis; for instance, meningitis caused by meningococcal bacteria can be shown by a red rash.
Meningitis is often caused by infection by microorganisms. Most infections are caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and protozoa as the next most frequent cause. This disease can also be caused by a variety of non-infectious causes of aseptic meningitis term refers to a case of meningitis can not be proved the involvement of bacterial infection. This type of meningitis is usually caused by a virus, but this situation can also occur when a bacterial infection has been partially treated before, when the bacteria disappeared from the meninges, or pathogen infects an area close to the meninges (eg sinusitis). Endocarditis (infection of the heart valves that deploy small clusters of bacteria through the bloodstream) may cause aseptic meningitis. Aseptic meningitis can also arise from a spirochete infection, a type of bacteria that include Treponema pallidum (causes syphilis) and Borrelia burgdorferi (known for causing Lyme disease). Meningitis can be found in cerebral malaria (malaria infecting the brain) or amoebic meningitis, meningitis caused by amoeba infections such as; Naegleria fowleri, which is obtained from a source of fresh water.
Nursing Diagnosis for Meningitis
Impaired Tissue Perfusion related to increased intracranial pressure
Goal:
- Patients returned to the state of neurological status prior to illness.
- Increased awareness and sensory function.
Expected results:
- Vital signs within normal limits
- Head pain is reduced
- Increased awareness
- There is an increasing cognitive
- There are no signs or loss of the increased intracranial pressure.
Nursing Intervention for Meningitis
- Patients total bed rest with supine sleeping position without a pillow
Rational: intacranial pressure changes, will be able to cause the risk for brain herniation - Monitor signs of neurological status with GCS.
Rational: It can reduce further brain damage. - Monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, temperature, and caution in systolic hypertension.
Rational: In normal circumstances, autoregulation maintains a state of systemic blood pressure changed by fluctuations. Autoreguler failure will lead to cerebral vascular damage that can be manifested by an increase followed by a decrease in systolic and diastolic pressure. While the increase in temperature to describe the journey of infection. - Monitor intake and output
Rational: hyperthermia can cause increased IWL and increase the risk of dehydration, especially in patients who are not aware, the nausea that reduce oral intake.
Nursing Intervention for Meningitis