Caption

Paediatric intensive care. Female nurse attending an infant in a paediatric intensive care unit. The child is suffering from severe meningitis, an inflammation of the connect- ive tissue membranes (meninges) that line the skull and vertebral canal. The disease may be caused by bacteria or viruses, but bacterial infection tends to be more severe and is often life-threatening. The main symptoms of the disease are fever, severe headache, vomiting, dislike of light, a stiff neck, a blotchy rash, and drowsiness or unconsciousness. Bacterial meningitis is treated with large doses of intravenous antibiotic drugs.