Bacterial Meningitis Essay

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Recommended: Pathophysiology of meningitis

The most likely cause of the symptoms presented by her is bacteria meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is diagnosed by taking a sample of the cerebrospinal fluid found in the subarachnoid space near the spinal cord (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) bathes the spinal cord, provides it with nutrients and protects it from injury. If a needle were used in this test, it must pass between the L3 and L4 or L4 and L5 vertebra, which is considered safer, preventing a direct damage to the spinal cord (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). To reach the cerebrospinal fluid, the needle passes through the skin, the epidermis layer, subcutaneous tissues and fat, before passing through the supraspinous ligament (which connects the apices of the spinous processes together), and then the interspinous ligament (ligament between two vertebras), ligamentum flavum, epidural and veins, dura, subdural space, arachnoid layer and subarachnoid space, …show more content…

This process is also called the lumber puncture. The sample of the cerebrospinal fluid is then taken to a lab for testing, to identify the specific bacteria causing the infection (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016).
If the needle is not used, bacterial meningitis can also be diagnosed through blood cultures, especially in the cases where the patient has a negative culture of the cerebrospinal fluid (Fuglsang-Damgaard, Pedersen, & Schønheyder, 2009). Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges - which is comprised of three thin anatomical layers that cover the brain and spinal cord. This infection occurs within the subarachnoid space, between the middle and innermost layers (Gray & Fedorkko, 1992). The three layers of the meninges consist of the outermost layer, which is made of tough, dense

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