Clinical features of this disease include sever pain, swelling, and erythema. This is often the initial presenting symptom. Fever may also be present. It is important to diagnosis and begin treatment on this disease immediately, because the production and accumulation of pus in the joint cavity can cause rapid destruction of the cartilage and the subchondral bone. Top of this page Meningitis Meningitis involves infection of the meninges.
Bacterial meningitis is primarily an infection of the pia mater and arachnoid space.
The bacteria that most commonly cause meningitis, such as S. aureus , are part of our natural flora. Clinical mainifestations arise from the meningeal inflammation. These occurences are due to irritation and damage to the cranial nerve. Neck stiffness, pain with nuchal rigidity, and possibly head retraction reflect the irritabillity of the spinal accessory cervical spinal nerves. The vomitting center can become irritated, causing projectile vomitting.