In developed countries, meningitis occurs with a frequency of 5 cases per 100,000 people. And in countries with a low level of economy (this includes the countries of the "meningitis belt" of Africa), 40 people per 100 thousand people fall ill and up to 1000 people during epidemics. However, this fact does not make the problem not worth paying attention to. After all, what do the numbers mean if it is your child who gets into the statistics!
And we didn't know
The study showed that only 2.8% of citizens are fully informed about the nature of the disease and its consequences. A significant proportion of parents – 11.2% – do not know anything about the disease, and 5.2% share false beliefs about it, such as that meningitis occurs if you do not wear a hat. As for the need to vaccinate against meningococcus, this idea is supported mainly by older parents: According to the results of the survey, 57.7% of moms and dads aged 36-50 are ready to vaccinate their children against this infection. But young parents are more likely to express a protest opinion regarding vaccination in general, and meningococcal prophylaxis in particular. This was stated by 12.6% of parents aged 18-25, and 6.7% of parents aged 26-35.
Mortality — 63% in the first day
"Severe forms of neuroinfection, which can manifest itself in purulent meningitis, are characterized by a combination of inflammation in the meninges of the brain and severe extracranial manifestations. In many cases, the disease proceeds with manifestations of sepsis," purulent meningitis is the second most common cause of death. In 2010-2016, death in the first day from the onset of purulent meningitis was recorded in 63% of cases. This is due to the fact that patients rapidly develop intracranial and extracranial pathologies, each of which in itself can lead to death."
Time is working against us
If meningitis is severe, fulminant, the patient burns out in just a few hours. And even with timely and high-tech medical care, as a rule, it is not possible to exclude the most severe consequences (amputation of limbs, impaired kidney function, loss of hearing, vision, decreased intelligence, delayed physical development, etc.).
The chances of avoiding death are higher if you get to the hospital in the first hours after the development of the disease. The classic symptoms of meningitis are:
– high fever (rapidly rising to 39 and above);
- Dry lips
- Severe headache
– the posture of a pointing dog that the patient adopts. He lies with his head thrown back and his legs tucked up to his stomach.
The most prognostically unfavorable sign is a stellate hemorrhagic rash that spreads rapidly throughout the body. The worst option is if it starts with the head, the upper part of the body.
An atypical picture
"Often, children do not have the classic manifestations of meningitis, and the main signs may resemble the onset of an intestinal infection (diarrhea often develops) or SARS. Sometimes children with meningitis are admitted to surgical hospitals with suspected appendicitis because they have abdominal pain," says Vilnitz. "In this regard, the diagnosis is sometimes made with a delay, when the child is already in a very serious condition, which can happen very quickly."
Therapy of the acute period requires the availability of high-tech equipment, expensive medicines and consumables, the availability of qualified personnel, and the involvement of related specialists.
Chooses the strongest
The pathogens that cause purulent meningitis are ubiquitous, so the risk of infection is everywhere. But all this horror could have been avoided if the child had simply been vaccinated against meningococcus. Vaccination is possible from the age of 9 months.
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