Question
A 16-week-old male infant began to have a slight cough in August, which persisted until November 20th when he started showing symptoms such as incoherent speech, refusal to eat or drink, sleeplessness, mild cough, body temperature above 37 degrees Celsius, and an accelerated heart rate. After detailed examinations at Hebei Medical University Affiliated Hospital, including lumbar puncture, CT scan, MRI, electroencephalogram, and blood tests, no obvious abnormalities were found, only slightly elevated lymphocytes and a higher number of monocytes, along with blood-streaked sputum. After 14 days of antiviral treatment, he was discharged on December 12th. On December 13th, after discharge, his language expression was minimal, and his body temperature rose again above 37 degrees Celsius. He was readmitted for treatment on December 14th with symptoms including psychiatric abnormalities, bilateral fluid-filled spaces, posterior hip, knee pain, and occasional incoherent speech. After treatment, he recovered basically on December 18th, but a mild abnormality was shown in the digital film brain examination report from the Second Hospital of Shengxiang on December 19th. After 21 days of antiviral treatment, he basically recovered on December 22nd. After discharge on December 23rd, he occasionally experienced slow language expression, slow response, cold expression, inability to connect with others, occasional incoherent speech, yawning, and blood streaks in the pupils.
Answer
The treatment for viral meningitis and encephalitis primarily involves symptomatic treatment, encouragement therapy, and comprehensive prevention and treatment of complications. Antiviral treatment can significantly prolong the course of the disease and alleviate symptoms. With standard treatment, most children can achieve a good recovery…