Abstract | Upalu moždanih ovojnica koje okružuju mozak nazivamo meningitis. Razlikujemo akutni i kronični meningitis; kod akutnog meningitisa infekcija se razvija brzo, dok se kod kroničnog bolest razvija sporije, tjednima.
Meningitis se najčešće pojavljuje kao bakterijski i virusni. Kod bakterijskog meningitisa infekcija se primarno javlja na drugim organima u tijelu, a bakterije putem krvi dolaze do mozga. Bakterijski meningitis je ozbiljna infekcija i hitno stanje koje se mora pravovremeno prepoznati, kao i započeti liječiti antibioticima koji se daju ovisno o uzročniku. U suprotnome, bakterijski meningitis ostavlja velike posljedice te može završiti i letalnim ishodom. Najčešći uzročnici bakterijskog meningitisa su Streptococcus pneumoniae i Neisseria meningitidis.
Virusni meningitis lakšeg je oblika; kod njega se provodi simptomatsko liječenje. Bolesnici se najčešće u potpunosti oporave, no u rijetkim slučajevima mogu se pojaviti i komplikacije. Najčešći uzročnici virusnog meningitisa su: enterovirusi, (najčešće echo i Coxackie virusi), virus mumpsa, herpes simplex virus tip 2, Epstein-Barr virus te virus humane imunodeficijencije (HIV).
Tipični simptomi meningitisa su: glavobolja, povišena tjelesna temperatura, povraćanje, mučnina, ukočenost vrata. Neke osobe imat će sve navedene simptome, dok se kod drugih mogu pojaviti samo pojedini.
Kod dijagnosticiranja meningitisa najučinkovitija je metoda lumbalna punkcija, kod koje se uzima cerebrospinalna tekućina, iz koje se potom izolira uzročnik. Zbog razvoja medicine sve su više dostupna i cjepiva, koja su najbolja prevencija meningitisa.
Uloga visoko educirane medicinske sestre kod bolesnika s meningitisom je: pružanje adekvatne zdravstvene njege i propisane terapije, stalni nadzor pacijenta te pružanje psihičke pomoći i edukacija samog pacijenta i njegove obitelji. |
Abstract (english) | The inflammation of meninges that surround the brain is called meningitis. We differentiate acute from chronic meningitis; in cases of acute meningitis, the infection develops quickly, while in chronic meningitis, the disease develops over weeks.
Meningitis most commonly occurs as bacterial and viral. With bacterial meningitis, the infection primarily occurs on other body organs, and the bacteria enter to the brain via blood. Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection and an emergent condition that needs to be recognized as soon as possible, as well as treated with antibiotics that are given depending on the cause. Otherwise, bacterial meningitis leaves serious consequences and can be lethal. The most common causes of bacterial meningitis are Streptococcus pneumonia and Neisseria meningitidis.
Viral meningitis is a lighter form and is most commonly treated symptomatically. The patients often recover fully but, in rare cases, complications can occur. The most common causes of viral meningitis are enteroviruses (most often echo and Coxackie viruses), mumps virus, herpes simplex virus type 2, Epstein- Barr virus and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Typical symptoms of meningitis are headache, fever, vomiting, and neck stiffness. Some patients will experience all of the symptoms, while other may suffer only from a handful of them.
At diagnosing meningitis, the most efficient method is a lumbar puncture, during which the cerebrospinal fluid is taken, and during the analysis the cause is extracted. Due to the development of medicine, the vaccines are also increasingly available, and the vaccine is the best prevention of meningitis.
The role of a highly educated nurse in treating a meningitis patient is providing adequate care, prescribed therapy, around the clock monitoring of the patient, while also providing psychological care and educating him and his family. |