Distinguishing brain-meningeal disease

In meningitis - meningitis should clearly distinguish the two major groups of encephalitis and meningitis. Encephalitis is a pathogen that directly attacks the brain tissue and the most common cause is the intestinal virus or Japanese encephalitis virus.

Meningitis is caused by a pathogen that attacks the membrane surrounding the brain and when it affects the brain.

Notice the four types of diseases

Treatment of meningitis for children at 1 Children's Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: TTO) Currently it is a hot season, also a high season easily susceptible to some brain-meningitis.

Meningitis - meningitis caused by infection is an inflammation of the brain tissue, meninges or both caused by viruses or bacteria. This is a very serious disease that can cause death or sequelae if not detected and treated promptly.

Fortunately, this rate is not much, only about 1-5 out of 100,000 people. And not everyone who comes into contact with the pathogen has it.

Depending on the cause of the disease, infectious brain-meningeal disease has its own name as follows:

Japanese encephalitis is an encephalitis caused by Japanese encephalitis virus. This is a mosquito-borne disease and is common in rural areas.

Enteritis virus (enterovirus) is caused by a virus from the digestive tract that attacks the brain, causing encephalitis and the most dangerous is enterovirus type 71.

Meningitis or septicemia caused by meningococcal pathogens are bacteria of the meningococcus, this is a rapidly fatal disease if met with the ultimate body.

HIB meningitis is caused by HIB bacteria, which are very common in young children, especially children under 3 years old. There are also a few other agents that are less common but also cause brain-brain pathology.

Recognizable symptoms

Every year at the Children's Hospital (BV), Ho Chi Minh City receives 900 - 1,000 patients with brain-meningitis.In 2005 alone, there were 897 cases of meningitis and meningitis, including 300 cases of encephalitis and 597 meningitis.

Symptoms of meningitis or severe encephalitis are often the same with neurological symptoms such as patients with lethargy, irritability, tremor, seizures and coma.

Symptoms may include fever, vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, cough or diarrhea. In children under 12 months of age, meningitis may show bulging fontanel.

In addition to the neurological symptoms, depending on the cause of the disease, the patient has other symptoms associated with it. Like encephalitis caused by enterovirus 71 is often accompanied by water bubbles in the palms, feet, buttocks, pillows and mouth ulcers.

If the disease is caused by meningococcal bacteria, dotted necrotic patches or patches may appear, and when these haemorrhagic plagues spread rapidly, it is a sign that the disease is very severe.

For early detection of brain-meningeal disease, it is best to closely monitor when children are fever, vomiting, headache. If a water balloon is found in the palm of the foot, or spots, the necrotic hemorrhage should be examined by a specialist physician.

Or when you see a neurological sign like lethargy, irritability, tremor, convulsions and coma, take your child to the hospital immediately. It should be noted that the above symptoms will appear worse.

Many preventive measures

To prevent brain-meningitis, many measures are needed, depending on the type of disease. With Japanese encephalitis, it is best to kill mosquitoes and sleep. With intestinal viral encephalitis, ensure hygiene when eating, especially washing your hands before eating.

In addition, vaccination is important, but a vaccine can only prevent meningitis. Currently in Vietnam there is a Japanese encephalitis vaccine, preventing HIB meningitis, these are two vaccines that have many preventative effects.

Particularly, meningococcal meningitis only has type A and C vaccines and is not effective, so to prevent this disease, the most important thing is environmental hygiene and early detection of the first case to proactively prevent people around by giving medicine.

Dr. TRUONG HUU KHANH (Children's Hospital I)