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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

The complications of meningitis can be severe. The longer you or your child has the disease without treatment, the greater the risk of seizures and permanent neurological damage, including:

  • Hearing loss
  • Blindness
  • Memory difficulty
  • Loss of speech
  • Learning disabilities
  • Behavior problems
  • Brain damage
  • Paralysis

Other complications may include:

  • Kidney failure
  • Adrenal gland failure
  • Shock
  • Death
References
  1. Meningitis questions & answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/about/faq.html. Accessed June 8, 2010.
  2. Tunkel AR. Clinical features and diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 1, 2010.
  3. Meningitis and encephalitis fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/encephalitis_meningitis/detail_encephalitis_meningitis.htm. Accessed June 8, 2010.
  4. Johnson RP. Aseptic meningitis in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 8, 2010.
  5. Meningococcal vaccines: What you need to know. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mening.pdf. Accessed June 8, 2010.
  6. FDA approves the first vaccine to prevent meningococcal disease in infants and toddlers. FDA. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm252392.htm. Accessed April 27, 2011.
DS00118 April 29, 2011

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