Common Misdiagnoses of Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis occurs when the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord become inflamed due to bacterial infection. Some of the most common symptoms include a severe headache, high fever and a stiff neck. Some patients also develop nausea, vomiting and lethargy. Delaying treatment for this condition can lead to brain damage, hearing loss and death. It is also contagious. Thus, fast diagnosis and treatment is crucial to prevent complications.

Proper Diagnosis Procedure

One of the most important parts of the diagnosis is letting a doctor know the symptoms. The physician will also take a sample of spinal fluid through a spinal tap, which involves putting a needle into the lower back. The fluid sample will then be observed while the bacteria in it is allowed to grow, permitting the doctor to determine which type of bacteria caused the infection so that the right antibiotics are offered.

Misread Diagnosis

It is possible for a doctor to misread the bacteria type and offer ineffective antibiotics. Some doctors may also offer treatment too late, by which point the bacterial meningitis has gotten more severe. Empiric therapy needs to be implemented right away, meaning that doctors should give general antibiotics while waiting for the test to show which bacteria is the cause of the bacterial meningitis. Empiric antibiotics can begin the process of getting rid of various types of bacteria, while more specific antibiotics can be given to further obliterate the bacteria once the type is known. Of course, some doctors simply misread the symptoms and diagnose a different condition altogether.

• Viral meningitis is the more common, and less serious, form of meningitis. The symptoms of both forms are the same, so a spinal tap is given to diagnose both types of meningitis. A doctor may misread the spinal tap results, believing that a virus is the cause instead of bacteria. Since there is no treatment for viral meningitis, misdiagnosed patients will not get the antibiotics they need, possibly resulting in death if the error is not caught fast enough.
• Similar to meningitis, encephalitis involves swelling caused by an infection, except the inflammation is in the brain itself, not the surrounding membranes. Encephalitis is usually caused by a virus, and the symptoms include a mild fever, headache and poor appetite. Some patients also have lethargy, a stiff neck and nausea, all of which are also bacterial meningitis symptoms. Therefore, a doctor may confuse the two when just looking at symptoms, and may, therefore, never order a spinal tap. 

• Some forms of group A streptococcus include scarlet fever, impetigo and cellulitis, but none of these typically involve the head. However, strep throat is one form of group A streptococcus that may occasionally be diagnosed in place of bacterial meningitis. Its symptoms include a headache, fever and nausea. Fortunately, the treatment is antibiotics, so a misdiagnosis is not always disastrous. However, it is best to identify the bacteria type that causes bacterial meningitis in order to prescribe the most effective antibiotics. 

When to Contact a Lawyer

If you have sustained permanent damage due to a misdiagnosed case of bacterial meningitis, you should contact a lawyer. The same goes if a family member has suffered brain damage or even passed away as a result of a delayed or missed diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.