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Meningococcemia - Symptom

Alternative Names

Meningococcal septicemia; Meningococcal blood poisoning; Meningococcal bacteremia

Symptoms:

There may be few symptoms at first. Some may include:

Anxiety
Fever
Irritability
Spotty red or purple rash (petechiae)

Additional symptoms may include:

Headache
Muscle and joint pain
Nausea
Vomiting

Later symptoms may include:

Changing level of consciousness
Ill appearance
Large areas of bleeding under the skin (purpura)
Shock

Signs and tests:

Blood tests will be done to rule out other infections and help confirm meningococcemia. Such tests may include:

Blood culture
Complete blood count with differential
Clotting studies (PT, PTT)

Other tests that may be done include:

Lumbar puncture to obtain spinal fluid sample for CSF culture
Skin biopsy and gram stain
Urinalysis

Reviewed last on: 9/28/2008
Linda Vorvick, MD, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies; University of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, PHD, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Apicella MA. Meningococcal infections. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 321.

Apicella MA. Neisseria meningitides. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005: chap 208.

Fernández-Frackelton M. Bacteria. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2006: chap 127.

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