What is the nursing care for meningitis?

Meningitis can be fatal. Nursing staff need to prioritise antibiotic treatment, as delays are associated with poorer outcomes. Testing the urine specific gravity to assess fluid status can be useful, especially in infants and children with a labile fluid status, and those on full maintenance intravenous fluids.

How do you position a patient with meningitis?

Place your patient in a supine position. Assess for nuchal rigidity (neck pain and resistance to flexion), which may signal meningeal inflammation or a mechanical problem. Repeat your assessment on the other side. If pain and resistance to knee extension are bilateral, meningeal irritation may be present.

Do you need precautions for meningitis?

Healthcare personnel should use standard precautions when caring for meningitis patients. Transmission based precautions should be followed for disease-specific illness. For example: Meningococcal – droplet for 24 hours after effective treatment.

How can you prevent meningitis?

These steps can help prevent meningitis:

1. Wash your hands. Careful hand-washing helps prevent the spread of germs.
2. Practice good hygiene. Don’t share drinks, foods, straws, eating utensils, lip balms or toothbrushes with anyone else.
3. Stay healthy.
4. Cover your mouth.
5. If you’re pregnant, take care with food.

Which procedure is most likely used to test for meningitis?

Q:Which procedure is most likely used to test for meningitis? A: A spinal tap (or lumbar puncture) is the most common method for obtaining a sample of the fluid in the spinal canal to determine a diagnosis for encephalitis or meningitis.

What do you assess for meningitis?

A diagnosis of meningitis can be based partly on a clinical exam. The exam might include a lumbar puncture, or spinal tap. The diagnosis can be confirmed through a culture of the spinal fluid. Often, the bacteria in the spinal fluid can even be seen under a microscope.

What are the isolation precautions for meningitis?

Meningococcal meningitis patients should be placed on droplet precautions (private room, mask for all entering the room) until they have completed 24 hours of appropriate antibiotic therapy.

What PPE do you wear for meningitis?

Wear gloves and protective clothing such as a gown or lab coat, shoes, and a mask (if the spill may contain a respiratory agent or if the agent is unknown).