Meningitis - H. influenzae

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Haemophilus influenza organism Influenza

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Meningitis - H. influenzae

• Irritability, poor feeding in infants
• Fever (in young infants the temperature may actually be below normal)
• Severe headache (older children)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stiff neck or pain in neck when flexed
• Pain in back when neck is flexed foreward and chin brought toward chest (older children)
• Unusual body posturing
• Sensitivity to light

• Bulging of the fontanelles (the soft spots on an infant's head)
• Opisthotonos (lying with the back arched, head, back, and chin up)
• Seizures
• Poor circulation
• Mental status changes (irritability, stupor, coma)
• Elevated white blood cell count in blood
• Spinal fluid showing increased number of white blood cells
• Spinal fluid culture showing bacteria
• Serology (antibodies in blood) showing recent exposure to H. influenzae
• Blood culture growing H. influenzae

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