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What is Meningitis?

25 March 2025

Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi. Some bacteria that cause meningitis can also cause septicaemia.

Meningitis can affect any person of any age, with babies and toddlers being most at risk.

A delay in diagnosis or a misdiagnosis can have devastating impacts on the patient and their family. It is therefore vital to look out for the symptoms and act quickly if any of the symptoms are spotted. Trust your instincts; if you or someone you know displays any of the symptoms and are getting worse, then seek medical help.

Symptoms of Meningitis

A common misconception is that meningitis shows in the form of a rash that doesn’t go away when a glass is pressed against it. Whilst a rash is one of the symptoms, there are many others to look out for. You may experience only some of the symptoms, and they can appear in any order. Early symptoms can include: –

• Fever
• Headache
• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Muscular pain
• Stomach cramps

Other common symptoms include: –

• Drowsiness
• Confusion and irritability
• Pale blotchy skin, spots or rash
• Severe headache
• Stiff neck
• Sensitivity to bright light
• Convulsions and / or seizures

In adults, symptoms of meningitis can sometimes be mistaken for a hangover, which may lead to the disease being missed.

For a full list of what symptoms to look out for in babies and toddlers, children, teenagers and young people, and adults, please visit one of Redkite’s charity partners, Meningitis Now: – https://www.meningitisnow.org/meningitis-explained/signs-and-symptoms/.

At Redkite we support Meningitis Now to help raise awareness of Meningitis and regularly take part in fundraising activities for them.

Treating Meningitis Those that display signs of meningitis should seek medical help immediately. The NICE Guidelines set out how clinicians show diagnose and manage suspected bacterial meningitis or meningococcal disease in order to reduce fatality rates due to the disease, and the life-changing effects it can have on the patient such as disability. The Guidelines do not cover viral meningitis, tuberculous or fungal meningitis.

The Guidelines state that those suspected of bacterial meningitis or meningococcal disease should be transferred to hospital as an emergency. If there is likely to be a delay in transferring the patient, then intravenous or intramuscular ceftriaxone or benzylpenicillin should be administered, unless this would delay the transfer.

Upon arrival at hospital, a senior clinical decision maker should perform an initial assessment to ensure antibiotics ae started within 1 hour of arrival. Blood tests (for both bacterial meningitis and meningococcal disease), and a lumbar puncture (only for bacterial meningitis) should be undertaken before starting the antibiotics, unless it is unsafe to do so.

How we can help

If you believe that the NICE Guidelines have not been followed when the hospital were treating you, or if there was a delay in diagnosing you and as a result, your prognosis worsened, we may be able to help you make a claim for clinical negligence.

You can make a claim for yourself, your child or if a family member has sadly passed away due to negligent treatment on behalf of a family member..

This article was written by Redkite Solicitors, Emma Wilson. To find out more about Emma and the support that she can provide to you, visit her website profile here: https://www.redkitesolicitors.co.uk/team/emma-wilson/