Question

A child is brought to the hospital with a high fever, nausea, and vomiting, and complaining of headache. The cerebrospinal fluid collected by spinal tap is cloudy and contains spherical cells which stain Gram-positive. These signs and symptoms are consistent withA) bacterial meningitis probably due to StreptococcusB) aseptic meningitis from infection with Neisseria meningitidisC) tetanus resulting from infection with Clostridium botulinumD) cryptococcal meningitis due to infection with Cryptococcus neoformansE) primary amebic encephalitis caused by Naegleria

Answer 1

Answer:

A) bacterial meningitis probably due to Streptococcus

Explanation:

These signs and symptoms are classic meningitis and when collecting cerebrospinal fluid, you notice cloudy fluid and the existence of gram-positive spherical cells is very likely to be caused by Streptococcus.

Direct Bacterioscopy is an examination performed from the CSF and other normally sterile body fluids. Gram staining of CSF allows the morphological and tintorial characterization of the bacteria present - in the case of meningococci, a Gram-negative diplococcus; pneumococcus, a Gram-positive diplococcus, and Haemophilus influenzae, a pleomorphic Gram-negative rod.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is stained by gram as gram-positive diplococcus.