. Diseases of children. a condition occurring in the course ofa disease. A sequel appears after the attack. CEREBROSPINAL FEVER This disease is also called spotted fever and epidemiccerebrospinal meningitis. It is a specific infectious diseasecharacterized by inflammation of the cerebrospinal men-inges (the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord) 268 DISEASES OF CHILDREN FOR NURSES and usually occurs in the winter and spring. The youngare more susceptible than the old. The disease is nowconsidered to be contagious. It is caused by a diplococcus. The mucous membrane lining the nose and ph
. Diseases of children. a condition occurring in the course ofa disease. A sequel appears after the attack. CEREBROSPINAL FEVER This disease is also called spotted fever and epidemiccerebrospinal meningitis. It is a specific infectious diseasecharacterized by inflammation of the cerebrospinal men-inges (the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord) 268 DISEASES OF CHILDREN FOR NURSES and usually occurs in the winter and spring. The youngare more susceptible than the old. The disease is nowconsidered to be contagious. It is caused by a diplococcus. The mucous membrane lining the nose and pharynxis the portal of entry and dissemination of the disease. Symptoms.—Common Form.—The disease generallybegins abruptly with a chill followed by vomiting andexcruciating pain in the head, back, and limbs. Themuscles of the head, neck, and back become rigid andcontracted so that the head is bent backward and theback is straightened. In severe cases the body may bearched in a state of opisthotonos. The mind is soon. Fig. 81—Cerebrospinal meningitis: Tache cerebrale shown on left thigh (Ruhrah). affected, delirium is rarely absent, and in severe cases it isfollowed by stupor and coma. At first there is intense irritation of the whole nervoussystem, headache is severe and continuous, twitching of themuscles and actual convulsions are common, all the specialsenses are extremely acute, and there is pain on the slight-est movement, which often causes the child to cry outshrilly. Later, when the exudate becomes of sufficientamount to exert pressure, paralysis develops; it may be THE INFECTIOUS FEVERS 269 localized, effect one side of the body, or one and deafness, disturbed speech, and mentaldefects are found in the protracted cases. When thefinger is drawn over the skin a red line develops; this iscalled the tdche cerehrale (see Fig. 81). The temperature is irregular and indefinite in duration;ordinarily it ranges between 101° to 103° F. In somecases ifis
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