The diagnosis is usually made by growing bacteria from a sample of spinal fluid. The spinal fluid is obtained by a spinal tap. A doctor inserts a needle into the lower back and removes some fluid from the spinal canal. Identification of the type of bacteria responsible for the meningitis is important for the selection of correct antibiotic treatment.
If bacteria are the cause, examining spinal fluid under a microscope can confirm it. The sooner the condition is diagnosed and treated the better the outcome.
Because recovery depends upon quick treatment, a fast diagnosis is extremely important. Your doctor will evaluate your or your child's symptoms, looking for specific signs such as a skin rash and stiff neck. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor will need to do a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, to withdraw some cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and check for a bacterial infection. Before the fluid is withdrawn, an area in the lower back is numbed with a local anesthetic. Then, a long, hollow needle is inserted into the spinal canal to withdraw the fluid. If the symptoms are caused by bacteria, the fluid will generally look cloudy. The fluid will also be examined under a microscope and sent to a laboratory where it will be grown (cultured) so the specific bacteria can be identified. Other tests that may be done include blood and urine tests and a computed tomography (CT) scan of the head.
Early diagnosis and treatment of spinal meningitis are vital.
The disease is often diagnosed using laboratory tests of spinal fluid obtained with a spinal tap. A spinal tap is a test in which a needle is inserted into an area in the lower back where fluid in the spinal canal is readily accessible.
For the bacterial variety, identification of the bacteria responsible is important so that the correct antibiotics can be prescribed. The specific cause of viral form can be determined by tests that identify the virus in specimens collected from the person. However, these tests are rarely done because the treatment for viral meningitis isn't dependent on the type of virus responsible.
