We are the combination of four hospitals: the General Hospital, the Children’s Hospital, the Women’s Hospital and the Traumatology, Rehabilitation and Burns Hospital. We are part of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus: a world-leading health park where healthcare plays a crucial role.
Below we will list the departments and units that form part of Vall d’Hebron Hospital and the main diseases that we treat. We will also make recommendations based on advice backed up by scientific evidence that has been shown to be effective in guaranteeing well-being and quality of life.
We will guide you from your first visit to the centre, allowing you to find all the departments and make the most of our facilities. Whatever the reason for your visit, we will explain how to get about the hospital.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, which are the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. This is generally caused by an infection that is bacterial, viral or fungal.
Meningitis may also have various non-infectious origins such as trauma and tumours.
There are two types of meningitis:
Bacterial meningitis is a serious disease requiring immediate medical attention. Three microorganisms are the cause of the disease. They are naturally present in the pharynx, where they are commensal, or “friendly”, bacteria. The disease can progress very quickly. This happens when these microorganisms invade the blood stream. Bacterial meningitis is spread through respiratory secretions, for example when we cough or kiss. People sharing a home are likely to be infected.
The most common symptoms are:
Meningitis may also include nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to bright light, drowsiness, falling into a coma or convulsions.
The first symptoms of bacterial and viral meningitis are similar. However, bacterial meningitis is generally severe and can cause serious complications such as brain damage or learning difficulties.
In bacterial meningitis, the bacteria in the blood can give rise to another serious disease, septicaemia, which is the body’s generalized reaction to infection and which may have various consequences such as:
In the most serious cases it can be fatal. In this case, the appearance of small spots on the skin is cause for alarm.
Bacterial meningitis can be contracted by any age group but the elderly and young children are most at risk. In the last twenty years its epidemiology has changed significantly with the introduction of new vaccines linked to child vaccination programmes.
Whilst meningococcus is the main cause of bacterial meningitis around the world, in Spain meningococcal disease is not endemic, with an annual rate of fewer than 5 cases for every 100,000 people. Meningococcal meningitis may lead to death in 3-15 % of cases.
Many of the viruses that cause the disease are present worldwide and others are specific to particular regions.
If meningitis is suspected, blood and cerebrospinal fluid (the liquid around the spinal cord and brain) samples will be analysed. Cerebrospinal fluid is obtained via lumbar puncture. Analysis will help confirm the disease and will identify the microorganism causing it.
Most cases of infectious or viral meningitis improve without treatment in 7-10 days. However, it is very important that people with symptoms of meningitis receive immediate medical care to make a correct diagnosis of the disease, to determine the type of meningitis and to receive the right treatment.
In the case of bacterial meningitis, antibiotic treatment must be administered intravenously as soon as possible. Anti-inflammatories may also be used to treat any complications that may arise.
Health tips for patients with meningitis
Cardiac Surgery
Abdominal wall surgery
Sleep Unit
Radiation Oncology
Neurology
Corneal and Ocular Surface Section
Cardiology
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Nutritional Support
Pneumology
Ophthalmology
Glaucoma
Strokes and Cerebral Haemodynamics
Colon and Rectal Surgery
Endocrine, Metabolic, and Bariatric Surgery
Dialysis
Internal Medicine
General Emergencies
Uveitis and Eye Inflammation
Allergology
General and Digestive Surgery
Oesophagogastric Surgery
Heart failure
Nephrology
Intensive care medicine
Oculoplastic and Orbital Surgery
Anaesthesia, Resuscitation and Pain Management
Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery and Transplants
Endocrinology and Nutrition
Psychiatry
Neurosurgery
Digestive System
Paediatric Oncological Surgery Unit
Angiology, Vascular Surgery and Endovascular Surgery
Thoracic Surgery and Lung Transplants
Diagnostic and Interventional Haemodynamics
Infectious Diseases
Clinical Neurophysiology
Echocardiogram and cardiac imaging unit
Hereditary Angioedema Unit
Arrhythmia Unit
Pharmacy
Hepatology
Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose and Throat)
Medical Oncology
Coronary care unit
Cardiovascular Critical Care Unit
Paediatric Cardiology
Haematology and Haemotherapy
Urology
Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Unit
Congenital Heart Disease in Adolescents and Adults
Aortic pathology and Marfan syndrome
Inherited Heart Disease
Select the newsletter you want to receive:
By accepting these conditions, you are agreeing to the processing of your personal data for the provision of the services requested through this portal, and, if necessary, for any procedures required by the administrations or public bodies involved in this processing, and their subsequent inclusion in the aforementioned automated file. You may exercise your rights to access, rectification, cancellation or opposition by writing to web@vhebron.net, clearly stating the subject as "Exercising of Data Protection Rights". Operated by: Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron - Institut Català de la Salut. Purpose: Manage the user’s contact information. Legitimisation: Express acceptance of the privacy policy. Rights: To access, rectify, and delete personal information data, as well to the portability thereof and to limit and/or oppose their use. Source: The interested party themselves.