Signs of differentiation of encephalitis with meningitis

Encephalitis and severe meningitis often cause convulsive coma, not timely treatment, easy death, sequelae.

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. The disease accounts for about 1-5 out of 100,000 people. Not everyone who comes into contact with the pathogen has this disease.

Doctor Truong Huu Khanh, Head of Infection - Neurology Children's Hospital 1 (Ho Chi Minh City) said that in brain-meningitis, it is necessary to clearly distinguish the two major groups: meningitis 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. Meanwhile meningitis is caused by pathogens attacking the membranes surrounding the brain and when new severe effects affect the brain.

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

1. Japanese encephalitis is an encephalitis caused by Japanese encephalitis virus. This is a mosquito-borne disease and is common in rural areas. Virus causes disease transmitted from pigs, birds carry pathogens to people through intermediaries are mosquitoes.
2. Enteric virus (enterovirus) , from the gastrointestinal tract that attacks the brain, causes encephalitis and the most dangerous is enterovirus 71.
3. Meningitis or septicemia caused by meningococcus , the agent is the meningococcal germ, dies quickly if the body is supreme.
4. HIB meningitis caused by HIB bacteria is a very common bacterium in young children, especially for children under 3 years old.
5. There are also some other less common agents.

Patient treated encephalitis in the Department of Infection of Children Hospital 1 (HCMC).(Photo: Le Phuong).

According to Dr. Khanh, symptoms of meningitis or severe encephalitis are often the same with neurological symptoms such as lethargy, irritability, tremor, seizures and coma. Before severe symptoms, there are symptoms such as fever, vomiting, loss of appetite, headache, cough or diarrhea. In young children under 12 months when meningitis is present, swelling of the bulge.

In addition to neurological symptoms depending on the cause and other symptoms, such as encephalitis caused by enterovirus 71, the appearance of palms, feet, buttocks, pillows and sores in the mouth appear. Disease caused by bacteria of the brain tissue can appear dotted or necrotic debris in the skin and when these hemorrhagic plaques spread quickly, it is a very serious disease.

For early detection of cerebral encephalopathy - meningitis should be monitored closely when a child has a fever, vomiting, headache. If you see water balloons in the palms of your feet or dots or necrotic plaques, you should see specialist doctors. Children with neurological signs such as lethargy, irritation, struggle, tremor, convulsions and coma are taken to the hospital immediately. It is important to remember that the above symptoms will appear increasingly severe.

Dr. Khanh recommends, in order to prevent brain disease - meninges need many measures depending on each disease. With Japanese encephalitis, kill mosquitoes and sleep. With intestinal viral encephalitis ensure hygiene when eating, especially hand washing before eating.

Vaccination is also important. However a vaccine only protects a brain or meningeal disease. Currently there is a vaccine for Japanese encephalitis and HIB meningitis in Vietnam. Particularly, meningococcal meningitis only has type A and C vaccines, its effectiveness is not high. To prevent the most important disease is sanitation and the first case detection to prevent people around by giving medicine.