Meningitis - H. influenzae
Alternate Names : H. influenzae meningitis, H. flu meningitis
Symptoms & Signs
- Fever (in young infants the temperature may actually be below normal)
- Irritability, poor feeding in infants
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain in back when neck is bent forward and chin is brought toward chest (older children)
- Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
- Severe headache (older children)
- Stiff neck or pain in neck
- Unusual body positions
Diagnosis & Tests
Signs include: - Bulging of the fontanelles in an infant
- Lying with the back arched, head, back, and chin up (opisthotonos)
- Mental status changes (such as irritability, reduced consciousness, coma)
- Poor blood flow (circulation)
- Seizures
For any patient with meningitis, it is important to perform a lumbar puncture ("spinal tap"), in which spinal fluid (known as cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF) is collected for testing. Other tests include:
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