As with any illness you need the diagnosis of it to happen quickly so that your treatment isn't delayed and you are given the best chance of a full recovery. We leave all of this up to the medical professionals who are responsible for taking care of us, but what happens when something goes wrong with the diagnosis and treatment we are receiving? One example of this is the diagnosis and treatment of Meningitis.

While some forms of meningitis are mild and resolve on their own, meningitis is a potentially life-threatening condition due to the proximity of the inflammation to the brain and spinal cord. The potential for serious neurological damage or even death necessitates prompt medical attention and evaluation.

Meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning) are not always easy to recognise, and symptoms can appear in any order. Some may not appear at all. In the early stages, the signs and symptoms can be similar to many other more common illnesses, for example flu.

The most common symptoms of meningitis include:

- High fever - Severe headache - Stiff neck - Dislike of bright light - Drowsiness - Confusion and irritability - Vomiting - Muscle pains, stomach cramps and diarrhoea - Cold and pale hands and feet - A rash that doesn't fade under pressure (try pressing a glass against the skin)

These symptoms, whether it is all of them or just a few are usually seen within adults and older children; younger children share similar symptoms as well as a dislike to being held, unusual amounts of crying, rapid breathing and a refusal of food.

In cases of suspected meningitis, treatment will usually begin before the diagnosis has been confirmed. This is because some of the tests can take several hours to complete and it could be dangerous to delay treatment for that amount of time as it is a life-threatening condition.

The cause of meningitis can be due to a range of aspects such as organisms like viruses, bacteria, fungi, or parasites that spread into the blood and into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). As well as this meningitis can also be caused by non-infectious aspects such as cancers, systemic lupus erythematosus and certain drugs. The most common cause of meningitis is viral, and often runs its course within a few days.

The treatment that you will receive for meningitis depends on the underlying cause of the condition. If it is viral meningitis you will usually only require symptom relief such as bed rest and increased fluid. Bacterial meningitis requires prompt intravenous (IV) and antibiotic treatment. These will prevent serious complications as well as neurological damage.

The diagnosis and treatment of meningitis should be accurate and fast and in most cases of the illness this is exactly what it is; however there are cases where the illness may be missed or the treatment delayed until test results come back, which increases the illness and reduces your chance of recovering from it. In cases such as these it is classed as medical negligence.

If you feel you have been wronged by a medical professional when it comes to your diagnosis and treatment of meningitis then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation. Helen is the web master for Accident Consult, who are specialists in all aspects of Medical Negligence claims. If you have suffered unnecessarily at the hands of the people who are meant to look after you then you could be entitled to make a claim for compensation.