Anthrax : Complications

Cutaneous anthrax: Spread of infection into the bloodstream; Inhalational anthrax: Hemorrhagic meningitis, mediastinitis, shock, and death; Gastrointestinal anthrax: Hemorrhage, shock, and death.

Untreated anthrax is often fatal, but death is far less likely with appropriate care. Ten to twenty percent of patients will die from anthrax of the skin (cutaneous anthrax) if it is not properly treated. All patients with inhalation (pulmonary) a...

Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. This can damage multiple organs. Shock requires immediate medical treatment and can get worse very rapidly.

Shock is a medical emergency in which the organs and tissues of the body are not receiving an adequate flow of blood. This deprives the organs and tissues of oxygen (carried in the blood) and allows the buildup of waste products. Shock can result in serious damage or even death .

Shock occurs when the body's organs and tissues do not receive an adequate flow of blood . Inadequate blood flow deprives the organs and tissues of oxygen and allows the buildup of waste products. Shock is a medical emergency and can result in serious damage or even death.

Meningitis is swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. This inflammation causes changes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. See also: Aseptic meningitis; Meningitis - gram-negative; Meningitis - H. influenzae; Meningitis - meningococcal; Meningitis - pneumococcal; Meningitis - staphylococcal; Meningitis - tuberculous.

The following Clinical Topic Tour provides an overview of meningitis and was adapted from materials published by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Cancer Institute, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Meningitis is a serious inflammation of the meninges, the membranes (lining) that surround the brain and spinal cord. It can be of bacterial, viral, or fungal origin.

Meningitis is the most common serious manifestation of infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Inflammatory involvement of the subarachnoid space with meningeal irritation leads to the classic triad of headache, fever and meningism, and to a pleocytosis in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

An inflammation of the meninges, most often caused by infection. Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, membranes which encase the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by an infection of bacteria, viruses, or fungi, although there can be other causes, including bleeding into the meninges, cancer, or diseases of the immune system. The inflammation causes swelling of the brain, whose fragile tissues are pressed against the skull. Brain cells in these areas can become damaged and eventually die. The most classic symptoms of meningitis include fever, headache, vomiting, photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light), irritability, lethargy, and a stiff neck. The disease progresses with seizures, confusion, and eventually coma. Infants, however, may not show these signs. A baby's immune system is not yet developed enough to mount a fever in response to infection, so fever may be absent. Some infants with meningitis may have seizures as their only identifiable symptom. The origin of an infection leading to meningitis varies according to an individual's age, habits, living environment, and health status. In newborns, the most common agents of meningitis are those contracted from the mother, including Group B streptococci, Escherichia coli, and Listeria mono cy to gene s. Older children are more frequently infected by Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae, while adults are infected by S. pneumoniae and N. meningitidis. N. meningitidis is the only organism that can cause epidemics of meningitis. Epidemics of meningitis can occur in crowded conditions, such as when a child in a day care falls ill with N. meningitidis meningitis and exposes other children and workers to the infection. Viral causes of meningitis include herpes simplex, mumps and measles, chicken pox, rabies, a number of virases which are acquired through the bite of infected mosquitoes. Non-bacterial, or inflammatory, meningitis is most often caused by a virus, but can also be triggered by some medications. Inflammatory meningitis can also be caused by the presence of certain atypical cells in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Other causes of meningitis include fungal infections, malignancies, and syphilis. Patients with AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) are more susceptible to certain infectious causes of meningitis, including certain fungal agents, as well as by the agent that causes tuberculosis. Meningitis can damage the brain in several ways. The agent of infection can damage the brain tissue directly or cause swelling of brain tissue, compressing it against the inner surface of the skull. Swelling of the meninges may interfere with the normal absorption of cerebrospinal fluid by blood vessels, causing accumulation of the fluid and resultant pressure on the brain. Inflammation may reduce the blood-brain barrier's effectiveness in preventing the passage of toxic substances into brain tissue. The most frequent long-term effects of meningitis include deafness and blindness, due to compression of specific nerves and parts of the brain controlling hearing and sight. Patients can also develop seizures. In addition, scarring of the meninges may result in obstruction of the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid, causing it to accumulate. Diagnosis can be verified by certain manipulations of the patient's head; for example, lowering the head (chin toward chest) is very painful for a patient with meningitis. However, the most important diagnostic test is the lumbar puncture (LP), commonly known as the spinal tap. This procedure involves the insertion of a needle into a space between the vertebrae in the lower back, and the withdrawal of a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid. Abnormally low levels of glucose, a normal ingredient of the fluid, indicate bacterial meningitis. Another indicator of meningitis is the presence of white blood cells in the cerebrospinal fluid Antibiotic medications (forms

Bacterial meningitis Epidemiology and microbiology: the overall annual incidence of bacterial meningitis is about 2?3/100,000, with peaks of incidence in infants and adolescents. Integration of vaccines into the UK vaccination programme against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and more recently against group C meningococccus has led to a marked decline in cases of Hib and Group C meningococcal meningitis and has significantly reduced the overall incidence of bacterial meningitis.

Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection (by bacteria, viruses, or fungi), although it can also be caused by bleeding into the meninges, cancer , diseases of the immune system, and an inflammatory response to certain types of chemotherapy or other chemical agents. The most serious and difficult-to-treat types of meningitis tend to be those caused by bacteria.

Although the word meningitis suggests an inflammation of the meninges only, there is always some involvement of the most superficial parts of the brain that are contiguous to the meninges. Often there are also alterations in the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord. Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection by bacteria, viruses, or fungi, although it can also be caused by bleeding into the meninges, cancer , diseases of the immune system, and an inflammatory response to certain types of chemotherapy or other chemical agents. The most serious and the most difficult to treat types of meningitis tend to be those caused by bacteria.

Meningitis is a potentially fatal inflammation of the meninges, the thin, membranous covering of the brain and the spinal cord . Meningitis is most commonly caused by infection ( bacteria , viruses , or fungi ), although it can also be caused by bleeding into the meninges, cancer , diseases of the immune system , and an inflammatory response to certain types of chemotherapy or other chemical agents. The most serious and difficult-to-treat types of meningitis tend to be those caused by bacteria.

Encephalitis is an acute inflammatory process that affects brain tissue and is almost always accompanied by inflammation of the adjacent meninges (tissues lining the brain). There are many types of encephalitis, most of which are caused by viral infections. Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis may be caused by many different viruses and bacteria, or by diseases that can cause inflammation of tissues of the body without infection (such as systemic lupus erythematosus). Viral meningitis is sometimes called aseptic meningitis to indicate it is not the result of a bacterial infection.

Septicemia is the presence of bacteria in the blood (bacteremia) and is often associated with severe disease.

Blood poisoning, also known as septicemia or sepsis, occurs when the bloodstream becomes infected by bacteria (i.e., staphylococci, streptococci) or fungi introduced through a wound, abscess , or other injury. Septicemia may also originate from a localized infection in the body.

Gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding refers to any bleeding that starts in the gastrointestinal tract, which extends from the mouth to the anus. The amount of bleeding can range from nearly undetectable to acute, massive, and life threatening. Bleeding may come from any site along the GI tract, but is often divided into: Upper GI bleeding: The upper GI tract is located between the mouth and the upper part of the small intestine; Lower GI bleeding: The lower GI tract is located between the upper part of the small intestine and the anus. The lower GI tract includes the small and large bowels.

GI bleeding studies uses radioactive materials in the investigation of bleeding from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These studies go under various names such as "GI bleeding scans" or "Tagged red blood cell scans." They are performed and interpreted by radiologists (physicians who specialize in diagnosis and treatment of diseases by means of x rays or related substances).

Mediastinitis is swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the area between the lungs (mediastinum. This area contains the heart, large blood vessels, windpipe (trachea), esophagus, thymus gland, lymph nodes, and connective tissues.