brain, spinal cord, and nerve disorders
Acute Bacterial Meningitis
Complications
When bacteria invade the meninges and subarachnoid space, the immune system eventually reacts to the invaders, and immune cells gather to defend the body against them. The result is inflammation—meningitis—which can cause complications such as the following: Blood clots:If severe, inflammation may spread to blood vessels in the brain and cause clots to form, sometimes resulting in a stroke. Swelling in the brain (cerebral edema):Inflammation can damage brain tissue, causing swelling and small areas of bleeding. Severe swelling can increase pressure within the skull, causing parts of the brain to shift. If these parts are pressed through the small openings in the tissues that separate the brain into compartments, a life-threatening disorder called Herniation: The Brain Under Pressure results. Excess fluid in the brain:The brain continuously produces cerebrospinal fluid. Infection may block it from flowing through the spaces within the brain (ventricles) and out of the brain. Fluid may accumulate in the ventricles, causing them to enlarge (a disorder called hydrocephalus). As excess fluid accumulates, it can put pressure on the brain. Inflammation may spread to the Overview of the Cranial Nerves , which are involved in sight, hearing, taste, and control of facial muscles and glands. Inflammation of these nerves may result in deafness, double vision, and other problems. Intracranial Epidural Abscess and Subdural Empyema : These problems include Sepsis and Septic Shock (dangerously low blood pressure due to bacterial infection of the bloodstream) and 