College can be a huge turning
point in your life. New friends, new responsibilities, and new living accommodations. It can be very easy to get sick of the dorms, but it is even easier to get sick IN the dorms.
One might assume that a terrible roommate is the biggest concern when moving into close quarters with other people,
but airborne bacteria are actually far more serious.
This week in lab, we
isolated and identified bacteria from cerebrospinal fluid. My patient was a
college student who presented with stiff neck and a petechial rash. He was said
to be toxic, drowsy, and disoriented.
These symptoms could be associated with
almost any college student around exam time, but after several tests, he was
found to have the bacteria Neisseria meningitides.
Neisseria meningitides is the most
common bacteria to cause bacterial meningitis in college aged students and the
infection was most likely due to the close contact in the dormitories and could
have been acquired from respiratory droplets from other asymptomatic carriers. The source of the infection is the bacteria
in the nasopharynx and into the meninges. The bacteria
then gain access into the CSF and cause inflammation in the subarachnoid space. Neisseria meningitides may lead to sepsis, organ damage, and even
death; therefore treatment must be administered as
quickly as possible after diagnosis. Penicillin
is the preferred treatment option for confirmed cases of N. meningitides.
Luckily, this disease is
preventable with the proper vaccine. This vaccine is effective against 80% of
the bacteria that cause meningitis and lasts about the same amount of time one
spends in college. This is just one more way to prevent sickness in the dorms
and ensure a happy, healthy college life.
Good introduction to the topic. Very interesting!
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ReplyDeleteNot only do I remember learning about this before in Mrs. Jeff's class, I remember getting this vaccine back in August just before the MT/CLS program began. I received an email from Student Health Services about a new immunization requirement. This requirement was the Meningitis vaccine for all UAB students under 21 that would be entering a program as of Fall 2011. At the time, I didn't understand why only younger students were required to have the vaccination. I know now the risks for us younger students due to living in close quarters, sharing utensils, and irregular sleeping habits.
ReplyDeleteI have always heard about meningitis since I was little but never really knew of the severity until we started this program. I know have a greater understanding as to what causing the disorder as well as how to prevent it. This disorder is also anotehr reason why i opted out of staying in the dorms and should have never opted out of the vaccine.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic. Like Lucy and Stephanie said I rememeber hearing about this before our program and when I was younger but never knew much about it until we began studying them in our classes. I didnt really know much about it even when I was getting the vaccine for it, other than being told that I needed it for school. Now its very interesting to know about the things we come across outside of school and hear about being a risk for young adults in our age groups like why it is required for students under 21.
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