A child brought in with symptoms of meningitis, unvaccinated, CSF culture shows gram negative pleomorphic coccobacilli. Which bacteria matches the description?
Understand the Problem
The question describes a clinical scenario of a child presenting with meningitis-like symptoms. The child is unvaccinated, and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture reveals gram-negative pleomorphic coccobacilli. The question asks to identify the bacteria that matches this description from the provided options.
Answer
The bacteria is likely *Haemophilus influenzae* (Hib).
Based on the search results, the bacteria that matches the description of Gram-negative pleomorphic coccobacilli in a CSF culture of an unvaccinated child with meningitis is Haemophilus influenzae (Hib).
Answer for screen readers
Based on the search results, the bacteria that matches the description of Gram-negative pleomorphic coccobacilli in a CSF culture of an unvaccinated child with meningitis is Haemophilus influenzae (Hib).
More Information
Haemophilus influenzae is a Gram-negative coccobacillus known for its pleomorphic shapes (varying in shape and size). Prior to the introduction of the Hib vaccine, it was a leading cause of bacterial meningitis, especially in children. Unvaccinated children are at higher risk.
Tips
It's important to consider patient history (unvaccinated status) and Gram stain/culture results when identifying causative agents of meningitis.
Sources
- Meningitis: Practice Essentials, Background, Pathophysiology - emedicine.medscape.com
- Haemophilus Meningitis Workup - Medscape Reference - emedicine.medscape.com
- Haemophilus influenzae Infection - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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