Exam (elaborations) Nursing course FISDAP UNIT EXAM PARAMEDIC

Meningitis Meningitis is any form of infection that causes the inflammation of the meninges (the outer cover of the central nervous system brain and spinal cord). Causes includes infectious, chemical, or metabolic causes. Infectious include bacteria, virus, fungi, or prions gain access to the body and begin to reproduce and cause damage. S/s include fever, headache, chills, photophobia, and stiff neck. In cases with kids you may have buldging fontenelles and a high pitched cry due to increased icp. Bacterial meningitis causes icp while viral does not. Some severe cases involve seizures. Bacterial meningitis should be treated fast at the hospital. For ems treatment, you need to put a mask on the patient and yourself and be ready for seizures to occur. You can tell if it is either viral or bacterial with the kernig or brudzinski test. The brudzinski test causes involentary flexion of the knees when the head is flexed towards the chest. The kernig test you get pain when you try and straighten the knees when the hips are flexed. If any of those are positive then bacterial meningitis is suspecte