Dr. Balentine received his undergraduate degree from McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. He attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in1983. He completed his internship at St. Joseph's Hospital in Philadelphia and his Emergency Medicine residency at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center in the Bronx, where he served as chief resident.
Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes
(called meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord.
Both infections can be caused by bacteria or viruses and rarely a fungus.
Headache and fever are the most common symptoms of encephalitis and meningitis. Stiff neck,
confusion, or lethargy can also be present.
The diagnosis is usually made by performing a spinal tap.
A CT scan or MRI of the brain can also be helpful but usually is only done in addition to the spinal tap.
Treatment depends on identifying the underlying cause. If bacteria are causing the infection, then antibiotics are indicated.
Anyone experiencing symptoms of encephalitis or meningitis should
see a doctor immediately.
Depending on the organism causing the infection, close contacts can also get sick and need to be evaluated by a health care
professional.
Basic methods that help to prevent the spread of infections (hand washing and covering ones mouth when
coughing) can also help prevent the spread of some forms of meningitis.
Being up to date on vaccinations will help prevent certain forms of meningitis.
What is encephalitis?
Encephalitis is brain inflammation. There are many types of encephalitis, most of which are caused by infections. Most often these infections are caused by viruses. In addition to infections, encephalitis can also be caused by certain diseases that result in an inflammation of the brain.
What causes encephalitis?
Encephalitis is a rare condition that is caused most often by viruses. The leading cause of severe encephalitis is the herpes simplex virus. The very young and the elderly are more likely to have a severe case.
Exposure to viruses can occur through breathing in respiratory droplets from infected people, certain
insect bites, and direct skin contact.
Reviewed by William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR on 6/18/2012
Fungal Meningitis and Steroid Injections: a Health-Care Disease
A new health-care-related disease has been identified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The disease is fungal meningitis caused by fungal-contaminated steroid injections. While it is not new per se, it was newly found to be health-care-related because the disease is linked to a treatment known as epidural steroid injections, a treatment designed to reduce pain and inflammation in a person's back. According to the CDC, a company, the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Mass., produced about 17,000 vials of methyl prednisolone acetate that were eventually determined to be likely contaminated by a fungus that rarely causes meningeal infections (infections of the lining tissue of the brain and spinal cord).
Lyme disease is a bacterial illness, which is spread by ticks when they bite the skin. Initially the disease affects the skin causing a reddish rash associated
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There
Sepsis (blood poisoning) is a potentially deadly infection with signs and symptoms that include elevated heart rate, low or high temperature, rapid breathing
Group B strep are bacteria called Streptococcus agalactiae that may sometimes cause infections both in a pregnant woman and her newborn. Symptoms include
Coxsackie viruses may be divided into two groups. Type A causes hand, foot, and mouth disease and conjunctivitis, while type B causes pleurodynia. Both
Hand-foot-and-mouth syndrome is clinical pattern consisting of a rash on the hands and feet, and in the mouth. Hand-foot-and-mouth syndrome is caused by
Herpes simplex infections are common and when they appear around the mouth and lips, people often refer to them as "cold sores" and "fever blisters." Canker
Measles (rubeola) is a highly contagious disease that's caused by a virus. Symptoms include a rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red eyes. Treatment
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized. There are many causes of epilepsy.
Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degrees F. (37 degrees C.), in practice a person is usually not considered
Hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricles of the brain. The fluid is often under increased pressure and can compress
Mumps is an acute viral illness caused by the mumps virus. Symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite; followed
Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) infection is the most common type of infection acquired by patients while hospitalized. Patients at risk for VRE
Optic neuritis is inflammation of the optic nerve, the structure that connects the eye to the brain. The precise cause of optic neuritis is unknown, but
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs, are infections that are transmitted during any
type of sexual exposure, including intercourse (vaginal or anal),
Sinus headache is caused by a sinus infection or inflammation of the sinus cavities. The primary symptom of a sinus infection is pain and increasing pressure
Group A streptococcal infections are caused by group A streptococcus, a bacteria that causes a variety of health problems, including strep throat, impetigo,
Brain lesions (lesions on the brain) are caused by trauma, inflammation, autoimmune diseases, cancers, other diseases, stroke, bleeding, pituitary adenomas,
Leptospirosis is an infectious disease caused by bacteria. The illness progresses in two phases. Symptoms in the first phase include headache, muscle aches,
Medical shock is a life-threatening medical condition. There are several types of medical shock, septic shock, anaphylactic shock, cardiogenic shock, hypovolemic
West Nile virus (West Nile encephalitis) is a brain infection caused by a virus. People become infected with the virus after they're bitten by a mosquito
Spina bifida is the most common neural tube defect in the United States. There are four types of spina bifida; 1) occulta, 2) closed neural tube defects,
Febrile seizures, or convulsions caused by fever in small children or infants can be frightening, however, in general are harmless. Febrile seizures is
Becoming infected with chickenpox during pregnancy could cause birth defects in your unborn child. Likewise, shingles could also cause problems for your
Meningococcemia is a bloodstream infection caused by Neisseria meningitides. Meningococcemia symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and body aches.
