Definitions for meningitis
ˌmɛn ɪnˈdʒaɪ tɪsmenin·gi·tis

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. meningitisnoun

   infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that surround the brain or spinal cord) usually caused by a bacterial infection; symptoms include headache and stiff neck and fever and nausea

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. meningitisnoun

   Inflammation of the meninges, characterized by headache, neck stiffness and photophobia and also fever, chills, vomiting and myalgia.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Meningitis

   Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or altered consciousness, nausea, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate light or loud noises. Young children often exhibit only nonspecific symptoms, such as irritability, drowsiness, or poor feeding. A non-blanching rash (a rash that does not fade when a glass is rolled over it) may also be present.The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria or other microorganisms. Non-infectious causes include malignancy (cancer), subarachnoid haemorrhage, chronic inflammatory disease (sarcoidosis) and certain drugs. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation's proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore, the condition is classified as a medical emergency. A lumbar puncture, in which a needle is inserted into the spinal canal to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), can diagnose or exclude meningitis.Some forms of meningitis are preventable by immunization with the meningococcal, mumps, pneumococcal, and Hib vaccines. Giving antibiotics to people with significant exposure to certain types of meningitis may also be useful. The first treatment in acute meningitis consists of promptly giving antibiotics and sometimes antiviral drugs. Corticosteroids can also be used to prevent complications from excessive inflammation. Meningitis can lead to serious long-term consequences such as deafness, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, or cognitive deficits, especially if not treated quickly.In 2019, meningitis was prevalent in about 7.7 million people worldwide. This resulted in 236,000 deaths, down from 433,000 deaths in 1990. With appropriate treatment, the risk of death in bacterial meningitis is less than 15%. Outbreaks of bacterial meningitis occur between December and June each year in an area of sub-Saharan Africa known as the meningitis belt. Smaller outbreaks may also occur in other areas of the world. The word meningitis comes from the Greek μῆνιγξ meninx, "membrane", and the medical suffix -itis, "inflammation".

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. meningitis

   Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by various infectious agents, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, or by noninfectious conditions such as certain drugs or autoimmune diseases. Meningitis can cause severe symptoms like fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, and altered mental status, and it may lead to complications such as seizures or neurological damage. Some forms of meningitis can be life-threatening and require urgent medical treatment.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Meningitisnoun

   inflammation of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord

2. Etymology: [NL. See Meninges, and -itis.]

WikidataRate this definition:4.0 / 1 vote

1. Meningitis

   Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation's proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore, the condition is classified as a medical emergency. The most common symptoms of meningitis are headache and neck stiffness associated with fever, confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate light or loud noises. Children often exhibit only nonspecific symptoms, such as irritability and drowsiness. If a rash is present, it may indicate a particular cause of meningitis; for instance, meningitis caused by meningococcal bacteria may be accompanied by a characteristic rash. A lumbar puncture diagnoses or excludes meningitis. A needle is inserted into the spinal canal to extract a sample of cerebrospinal fluid, that envelops the brain and spinal cord. The CSF is examined in a medical laboratory. The first treatment in acute meningitis consists of promptly administered antibiotics and sometimes antiviral drugs. Corticosteroids can also be used to prevent complications from excessive inflammation. Meningitis can lead to serious long-term consequences such as deafness, epilepsy, hydrocephalus and cognitive deficits, especially if not treated quickly. Some forms of meningitis may be prevented by immunization.

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Meningitis

   Inflammation of the coverings of the brain and/or spinal cord, which consist of the PIA MATER; ARACHNOID; and DURA MATER. Infections (viral, bacterial, and fungal) are the most common causes of this condition, but subarachnoid hemorrhage (HEMORRHAGES, SUBARACHNOID), chemical irritation (chemical MENINGITIS), granulomatous conditions, neoplastic conditions (CARCINOMATOUS MENINGITIS), and other inflammatory conditions may produce this syndrome. (From Joynt, Clinical Neurology, 1994, Ch24, p6)

Matched Categories

1. • Infectious Disease

How to pronounce meningitis?

1. Alex

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   British

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   Australian

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How to say meningitis in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of meningitis in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of meningitis in Pythagorean Numerology is: 2

Examples of meningitis in a Sentence

1. Stockdale Walden:

   What happens is that the parasite gets into humans -- humans are not the host that it can complete its life cycle in, as opposed to being in a rat -- so when it gets in a human, it can get lost, and it will go to the brain, and it'll stay there, when it gets to the brain, you can have eosinophilic meningitis.

2. Amy Poole:

   I was so scared to let Ollie undergo such major surgery. He was so fragile, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, but doctors explained that he was at risk of contracting an infection or even meningitis if he tripped and knocked his nose— so I agreed to the surgery.

3. Leonard Friedland:

   Since 2005 we’ve had a vaccine to protect against four of the five types of meningococcal meningitis and blood infections and those are the A, C, W and Y types.

4. Heather Stockdale Walden:

   When it gets to the brain, you can have eosinophilic meningitis.

5. Mark Crowther:

   CVST has been known about for decades, and there are many conditions in which you could see CVST, meningitis, which is the bacterial infection around brain, causes CVST. In infants, a cause of CVST is actually severe dehydration.

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References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=meningitis
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Meningitis
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningitis
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meningitis
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=meningitis