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Discussion

Meningitis, Isolate or not???

I was working the other night and I got report on an admit coming fromt he ER with VIRAL meningitis. I asked, isn't that isolation? Assured by the charge nurse she was ok to be in a room with another patient. Then my patient comes up with transport at 3:30 in the morning and has a mask on. We were a bit confused and asked transport why she had the mask on. He said that the Dr and nurse told him to put it on her. So we called ER and house supervisor to ask what's going on. They say, no she is viral, so she can go into a room without isolation. She removed her mask and said that she had it on because she has a 3 year old and a baby.

So I ask this....do your hospitals isolate for meningitis no matter if it's viral or bacterial? I am been a litting uneasy since my shift Sunday night.

She had received rocephin IV in the ER and we hung Vanco once she arrived to our floor.

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No, you would not need strict isolation for these patients. This patient would need to be on contact precautions, not respiratory/droplet precautions. While they are contagious, the virus is spread through direct contact with contaminated feces, sputum, etc or by a vector such as a mosquito.

You only isolate for bacterial meningitis. Most people with viral meningitis are not even admitted. Why is pt. getting antibiotics? They are only effective against bacterial infections, not viruses.

Viral - no. Bacterial - yes.

But how did anyone KNOW it was viral before the patient arrived? We isolate until we get the CSF results back.

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