children s health issues
Viral Central Nervous System Infections in Children
Diagnosis of Viral CNS Infections in Children
Spinal tap (lumbar puncture) Doctors are concerned about the possibility of meningitis or encephalitis in every newborn who has a fever, as well as in older infants and children who have fever and are irritable or otherwise not acting normally. To make the diagnosis of meningitis or the diagnosis of encephalitis, doctors do a Spinal Tap (lumbar puncture) to obtain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord) for laboratory analysis. In viral infections, the number of white blood cells is increased in the CSF, but no bacteria are seen. Blood tests that detect antibodies against viruses in samples of CSF may be done, but these tests usually take days to complete. A test of brain waves ( Electroencephalography ) can be used to help diagnose encephalitis caused by herpesvirus. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Antibiotics cannot be used to treat viral infections, but antiviral medications can be used to treat some viral infections. 