Meningitis
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Neurohigh priorityneeds review
Meningitis
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Inflammation of meninges from bacterial, viral, or other infection.
- Meningeal inflammation can increase ICP and cause sepsis or neurologic injury.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Antibiotics by class | Urgent therapy for suspected bacterial meningitis per protocol. |
Signs / symptoms
- Fever, stiff neck, photophobia.
- Droplet precautions may be needed for suspected bacterial meningitis.
Nursing actions
- Initiate indicated isolation precautions promptly.
- Assess fever, neck stiffness, photophobia, LOC, and rash.
- Reduce stimulation and monitor for increased ICP or seizures.
Complications
- Sepsis
- Seizures
- Hearing loss
- Increased ICP
NCLEX cues
- Fever, stiff neck, photophobia.
- Droplet precautions may be needed for suspected bacterial meningitis.
Memory hooks
- Meningitis equals protect others and protect the brain.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.
Cross references
Related cards are generated from the shared study map, not hand-built per page.
Source entitycondition card
Meningitis
Condition card for Meningitis: recognize the testable cue, prevent the complication, and choose the safest first nursing action.
Procedurecondition
Lumbar puncture
Needle procedure to collect cerebrospinal fluid or measure pressure.
Termcondition cue
CSF
Fluid around the brain and spinal cord.
Med classmedication safety
Antibiotics by class
Targets bacterial growth or cell structures; exact teaching depends on the antibiotic class.