7 Meningitis Nursing Care Plan

Nursing Interventions

Rationale

Check your neurological state and vital indicators.

An alarming symptom of elevated ICP is an increase in systolic blood pressure that is accompanied by a decline in diastolic blood pressure.

Keep an eye out for any indications of elevated intracranial pressure.

Indicators of a rise in ICP include headache, fatigue, loss of alertness, vomiting, and a swollen fontanelle (infants).

Check for twitching, stiffness, increased restlessness, and irritation in the nuchal region.

These symptoms of meningeal irritation may result from an infection.

Keep an eye out for rising agitation, groaning, and protective actions.

These nonverbal signs might signify growing ICP or discomfort. Increased ICP can be potentiated by unrelieved pain.

ABGs (arterial blood gases) and oxygen saturation should be monitored.

Determines whether hypoxia is present and suggests the necessity for treatment.

Keep your head or neck in a neutral posture and give it a little cushion for support.

The jugular veins are compressed when the head is turned to one side, which prevents venous outflow and raises ICP.

Avoid bending your knees or pressing your heels towards the mattress while repositioning.

ICP rises as a result of these activities because they raise intra-thoracic and intra-abdominal pressures.

Reduce external stressors and offer comfort measures like a calm setting, a soothing voice, and gentle touch.

Produces a calming impact that lessens the body's negative physiological reaction and encourages sleep to keep or lower ICP.

Avoid neck and hip flexion and raise the head of the bed by 30 degrees.

Encourages venous outflow from the head, lowering the risk of elevated ICP and cerebral edema, and congestion.

As needed, provide oxygen.

Decreases hypoxia, which can lead to a rise in blood volume, cerebral vasodilation, and an increase in ICP.

Give the drugs as directed:

Increased cerebral blood flow is used to treat cerebral edema.

Nursing Interventions

Rationale

Attentively examine the child's vital signs.

Typically, a temperature of up to 104°F appears at the beginning of an aseptic viral meningitis history. BP and HR also rise when heat worsens.

Examine the patient for dehydration symptoms such dry mouth, sunken eyes, fontanelle sunkenness, and poor flow of concentrated urine.

A higher metabolic rate results in a higher rate of insensible fluid loss when the body temperature is elevated.

Reduce the temperature gradually.

Shivering can be caused by a quick drop in temperature, which might have the opposite effect and raise the temperature instead of decreasing it.

Put tepid sponge to work.

reduces temperature by allowing heat to escape through conduction and convection.

Continue to drink as much liquid as you can handle.

Avoid fluid excess due to the danger of cerebral edoema to avoid dehydration.

Give antibiotics as directed.

In order to address the underlying causes of inflammation and hence stop seizure activity, antibiotics are administered.

As needed, provide antipyretics.

As fever raises the need for cerebral metabolism, antipyretics bring down temperatures and reduce the need for brain oxygen.

Nursing Interventions

Rationale

The Glasgow coma scale for children is used to determine state of consciousness.

Measurement of the motor, verbal, and sensory clues associated with LOC may be done accurately and objectively using the Glasgow Coma Scale. Determining the meningitis damage's degree with the use of a neurological

If the LOC continues to deteriorate, keep an eye out and let your doctor know.

Once the LOC further declines, more therapy or therapeutic adjustments may be necessary. Increased ICP with lower cerebral perfusion pressure may be indicated by changes in mentation, seizures, elevated blood pressure (BP), bradycardia, or respiratory problems.

Look out for symptoms of cerebral edema such as nausea, vomiting, neck discomfort, headaches, disorientation, and erratic breathing.

As the symptoms worsen, anoxia, vasodilation, or vascular stasis can cause cerebral edema as a result of the increased intracellular and extracellular fluid in the brain.

Test your ability to obey either basic or difficult instructions.

The involvement of the cerebral hemispheres results in impaired cognitive performance.

Suck, gag, blink, and cough protective reflexes are evaluated for existence or absence.

Reflexes not being present is a late symptom of rising ICP.

Examine the patient for symptoms of meningeal irritation, including headache, photobia, nuchal stiffness, opisthotonic posture, Kernig's sign, and Brudzinki's sign.

Meningeal symptoms are essential characteristics of meningeal irritation and result from meningeal and spinal root inflammation as well as a collection of infectious exudates.

With the client's head in a neutral posture, raise the head of the bed by 30° to 45°.

encourages the brain's venous outflow and aids in ICP reduction.

As necessary, reorient the client to the surroundings.

To support cognitive function, reality orientation is crucially significant.

Help with Diagnostic Procedures:

The next diagnostic test is performed to measure cerebral pressure and find any infectious organisms.

Observe and care for the patient when they are having a seizure.

Preventing complications and further brain injury during a seizure requires precise and proper care.

Maintain a calm atmosphere and lower the lights.

Prevents stimulus that could trigger or advance a convulsion episode.

After the first 24 hours, measure the pupil size every 3 hours, then every 6 hours.

Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) will cause fixed dilated pupils and unequal pupil diameters.

Observe the seizure pattern and frequency and record it. Inform your doctor if you are having seizures.

The necessity for further neurological testing, anticonvulsant drugs, and reevaluation of therapy are indicated by changes in seizure pattern. Typically, a seizure occurs before intracranial pressure rises (ICP). A proper infection treatment programme will prevent future worsening and keep the intracranial pressure within normal ranges.

Give parents the opportunity to help with child care.

Encourage improved coping and anxiety reduction.

Dispense and keep track of anticonvulsant medicine levels.

Anticonvulsants are employed both therapeutically and prophylactically. To prevent seizures, therapy entails maintaining therapeutic blood levels.

Rationale

Examine parents' desire and interest in implementing care, as well as their understanding of the disease and methods for controlling and resolving it.

Encourages the use of a practical lesson plan to guarantee adherence to the prescribed treatment; avoids information repetition.

In order to teach about diseases, give clear information and explanations; utilise illustrations, brochures, videos, and models.

Ensures comprehension based on preparedness and capacity for learning; reinforces learning with visual assistance.

Give written directions and a timetable to follow, and remind parents to give their kid a full course of antibiotics. Include details about the action of the drug, dose and frequency, side effects, and expected outcomes.

Explains how to take prescribed medications to treat or prevent infection and disease-related seizures. Viral meningitis may be treated with medicines until a diagnosis is made, whereas bacterial meningitis is treated with antibiotics.

Help to create meals that incorporate nutritious fluids, calorie requirements, and the fundamental four categories for the appropriate age range.

Encourages healthy eating in a stepwise way that is pleasant.

Encourage parents to check for potential hearing impairment by following up.

encourages the detection of hearing loss (injury to 8th cranial nerve caused by meningitis).

Educate parents about the advantages of regular H. influenzae (type B) vaccination starting at 2 months of age and continuing for a total of 3 doses.

Data indicate that since the introduction of the vaccination, the incidence of this kind of meningitis has declined. The disease may also be prevented, and the transmission of infection to newborns who have not received the vaccine may be reduced.

Encourage students to get enough sleep and participate in play and stimulating activities that are age-appropriate (specify).

Rest is crucial for recovery, while stimulating activities are required for ongoing growth or to encourage stimulation in cases of developmental lag.

If a respiratory infection is present, teach parents to isolate their children for 24 hours or until the culture is negative.

Prevents the spread of germs to family members.

Teach patients to report any changes in behavior or level of consciousness, including increased temperatures, poor eating or anorexia, irritability, or a decline in hearing acuity.

Reveals the symptoms and telltale indications of an infection.

As soon as instructed, provide antibiotics according to the prescription (specify) based on a CSF analysis and throat cultures.

Manages current illness and stops additional infection spread (action of drug).

Provide moderate laxatives or stool softeners, refrain from using restraints, and stop or lessen sobbing bouts.

Reduces the risk of elevated ICP owing to straining during feces and prevents constipation.