Distinguishing encephalitis and meningitis in children

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi My Linh - Neonatologist - Department of Pediatrics - Neonatology - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital. Specialist Doctor I Nguyen Thi My Linh has 12 years of experience in diagnosing and treating pediatric diseases.
Meningitis and encephalitis in children are two very serious diseases in the group of encephalopathy - meningoencephalitis, which, if not treated promptly, can leave serious sequelae affecting the child's development, even causing death. dead.

1. What are the common features of meningitis and encephalitis in children?

Meningitis and encephalitis in children are caused by a viral or bacterial attack. The disease has symptoms such as high fever for many days, fatigue, headache, lethargy, not eating...
Meningitis and encephalitis in children often leave severe sequelae if not detected. and early treatment. Many cases of children die because the disease is too severe, causing serious brain damage.

2. What is the difference between encephalitis and meningitis in children?

To understand the difference between encephalitis and meningitis, it is first necessary to know the location and structure of the brain. The brain consists of nerve cells, which help regulate movement and thinking of the body.
The brain is protected by 3 membranes, including the dura mater, arachnoid and soft membrane. In particular, the soft membrane adheres closely to the cerebrospinal fluid, contains many blood vessels, has the role of nourishing and protecting the brain.
Encephalitis is a condition in which pathogens attack the brain directly. Two common causes are the Japanese encephalitis virus and the enteric HIB virus.
Meningitis is inflammation of the lining of the membrane, the pathogens attack the soft membranes, only when the disease gets worse, it affects the brain.
Manifestations of meningitis in children: Children with high fever for many days without relief, headache, fatigue, vomiting, stiff neck, constipation... Children under 12 months of age with meningitis may see symptoms of fontanelitis bulge. Manifestations of encephalitis in children: High fever, headache, vomiting, symptoms of movement disorders and disturbances in consciousness such as difficulty in moving limbs, slowness, lethargy, lethargy, trembling limbs. , convulsions, coma, hemiplegia... Many children have both encephalitis and meningitis at the same time. At that time, the child will have all of the above symptoms, the condition is also much more dangerous, it is necessary to take the child to the hospital for examination as soon as possible.

3. Meningitis and encephalitis are common in children

Meningitis and encephalitis are differentiated according to the cause of the disease such as:
Meningococcal HIB : Disease caused by HIB bacteria that attack the meninges. This is a common meningitis in children, especially children under 3 years old. Meningococcal meningitis: A disease caused by meningococcal bacteria. Meningococcal meningitis can be fatal very quickly if the fulminant form is present. Japanese encephalitis: Japanese encephalitis is caused by the Japanese encephalitis virus. The disease can be transmitted by mosquito bites, so it is especially easy to spread in areas with many rivers, lakes, and low-lying areas, especially in the rainy season. Japanese encephalitis virus can be transmitted from animals (birds, pigs...) to humans through mosquitoes.

Enteric Viral Encephalitis : A virus from the digestive tract attacks the brain causing meningitis. Among them, the most dangerous virus is enterovirus 71.

4. How to prevent meningitis and encephalitis in children

Have children fully vaccinated. Note that each vaccine can only prevent 1 type of encephalopathy - meningococcal disease. Currently in Vietnam, there are vaccines for Japanese encephalitis, vaccines for meningitis caused by HIB, vaccines for meningococcal meningitis Pay attention to hygiene, eat clean, wash hands for children before eating Hygiene Children's houses and living environment are clean and cool. Let children sleep under mosquito nets to avoid mosquito bites

When a child shows signs of encephalitis or meningitis, the child should be taken to the hospital for examination. The detection and diagnosis of acute encephalitis is quite complicated, requiring many modern medical equipment. Should choose hospitals with full equipment and support machines to be able to accurately detect the disease that the child is suffering from, to avoid prolonged illness that causes severe brain damage.
Vinmec Times City International General Hospital owns today's top quality General Pediatrics and Specialty Clinics. The clinic is fully equipped with advanced medical equipment, helping to detect pediatric diseases in general and acute encephalitis in children in particular easily and quickly.

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