The nurse is caring for a 10-year-old girl diagnosed with meningitis. Which of the following symptoms would the nurse expect?
Explanation
• For adults with meningitis, the common triad of symptoms is fever, neck stiffness, and mental status changes. However, this occurs in only 44% of adults with meningitis and in even fewer children.
• Fever, headache, photophobia, nausea, vomiting, confusion, lethargy, and irritability are the most common symptoms in children.
• Diarrhea and blurred vision are not common in pediatric meningitis.