Meningococcemia

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Meningococcal septicemia; Meningococcal blood poisoning; Meningococcal bacteremia

Patients are often admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital. Intensive monitoring and treatment are needed.

Supportive measures for shock include:

• IV fluids
• Breathing support
• Medical support of blood pressure

Medications include intravenous (IV) antibiotics to eliminate the infection. Clotting factors or platelet replacement may be needed if bleeding disorders develop.

Other treatments:

• Wound care for areas of skin with blood clots
• Respiratory isolation for first 24 hours, to avoid spread to other patients

Early treatment results in a good outcome. When shock develops, the outcome is more guarded. Profound shock, DIC (a severe bleeding disorder), and kidney failure all make the outcome poor, with possibility of a death. Patients without meningitis tend to have a poorer prognosis.

• Profound shock
• Limb loss secondary to clots (thrombosis)
• Irreversible shock
• Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC)
• Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome
• Arthritis
• Cutaneous vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels in the skin)
• Pericarditis

Go to the emergency room immediately if your child has symptoms suggestive of meningococcemia.

Review Date: 11/21/2005
Reviewed By: Kenneth Wener, M.D., Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.