Patient's question:
My daughter is four years old. Last week, she experienced diarrhea after eating seafood, but it improved after taking medication. Last night, she ate a bit too much and started having diarrhea at midnight, followed by vomiting and fever symptoms. Today, the doctor's initial diagnosis was acute gastritis. Her hands and feet feel slightly feverish, but her body is no longer burning. I would like to know what are the symptoms of encephalitis in children? Thank you.Doctor's answer:
Meningitis in children is generally purulent meningitis. The main clinical manifestations can be summarized as: acute fever, convulsions, impaired consciousness, increased intracranial pressure, meningeal irritation signs, and purulent changes in cerebrospinal fluid. Specific symptoms are described as follows:(1) Symptoms of infection toxicity and acute brain dysfunction: This includes fever, restlessness, and progressively worsening impaired consciousness. As the condition worsens, children gradually progress from lethargy, drowsiness, stupor, to coma, and deep coma. More than 30% of children experience recurrent generalized or focal convulsions. Meningococcal infection is prone to petechiae, purpura, and shock.
(2) Symptoms of increased intracranial pressure: This includes headache and vomiting. In infants, it may manifest as bulging fontanelles, increased tension, and enlarged head circumference. When brain herniation occurs, signs such as irregular breathing, sudden worsening of impaired consciousness, or unequal pupil size may appear.
(3) Meningeal irritation signs: Nuchal rigidity is the most common.