Meningococcemia
Meningococcal septicemia; Meningococcal blood poisoning; Meningococcal bacteremiaMeningococcemia is an acute and potentially life-threatening infection of the bloodstream.
Acute
Acute means sudden. Acute symptoms appear, change, or worsen rapidly. It is the opposite of chronic.
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleCauses
Meningococcemia is caused by bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. The bacteria often live in a person's upper respiratory tract without causing signs of illness. They can be spread from person to person through respiratory droplets. For example, you may become infected if you are around someone with the condition and they sneeze or cough.
Family members and those closely exposed to someone with the condition are at increased risk. The infection occurs more often in winter and early spring.
Symptoms
There may be few symptoms at first. Some may include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Irritability
- Muscle pain
- Nausea
- Rash with very small red or purple spots on the feet or legs
Later symptoms may include:
- A decline in your level of consciousness
- Large areas of bleeding under the skin
-
Shock
Shock
Shock is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is not getting enough blood flow. Lack of blood flow means the cells and organs do n...
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Exams and Tests
The health care provider will examine you and ask about your symptoms.
Blood tests will be done to rule out other infections and help confirm meningococcemia. Such tests may include:
-
Blood culture
Blood culture
A blood culture is a laboratory test to check for bacteria or other germs in a blood sample.
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Complete blood count with differential
Complete blood count
A complete blood count (CBC) test measures the following:The number of white blood cells (WBC count)The number of red blood cells (RBC count)The numb...
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Other tests that may be done include:
-
Lumbar puncture to get a sample of spinal fluid for Gram stain and culture
Lumbar puncture
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection is a test to look at the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. CSF acts as a cushion, protecting the b...
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Skin biopsy and Gram stain and culture
Skin biopsy
A skin lesion biopsy is when a small amount of skin is removed so it can be examined under a microscope. The skin is tested to look for skin conditi...
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Urine analysis
Urine analysis
Urinalysis is the physical, chemical, and microscopic examination of urine. It involves a number of tests to detect and measure various compounds th...
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Treatment
Meningococcemia is a medical emergency. People with this infection are often admitted to the intensive care unit of the hospital, where they are closely monitored. They may be placed in respiratory isolation for the first 24 hours to help prevent the spread of the infection to others.
Treatments may include:
- Antibiotics given through a vein immediately
- Breathing support
- Clotting factors or platelet replacement, if bleeding disorders develop
Bleeding disorders
Bleeding disorders are a group of conditions in which there is a problem with the body's blood clotting process. These disorders can lead to heavy a...
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- Medicines to treat low blood pressure
- Wound care for areas of skin with blood clots
Outlook (Prognosis)
Early treatment results in a good outcome. When shock develops, the outcome is less certain.
The condition is most life threatening in those who also have:
- A severe bleeding disorder called disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC)
Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy...
Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) is a serious disorder in which the proteins that control blood clotting become overactive.
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- Shock
Possible Complications
Possible complications of this infection are:
-
Arthritis
Arthritis
Arthritis is inflammation or degeneration of one or more joints. A joint is the area where 2 bones meet. There are more than 100 different types of...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Bleeding disorder (DIC)
- Gangrene due to lack of blood supply
- Inflammation of blood vessels in the skin
- Inflammation of the heart muscle
- Inflammation of the heart lining
- Shock
- Severe damage to adrenal glands that can lead to low blood pressure (Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome)
Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome
Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome (WFS) is a group of symptoms caused when the adrenal glands fail to function normally. This occurs as a result of b...
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When to Contact a Medical Professional
Go to the emergency room immediately if you have symptoms of meningococcemia. Contact your provider if you have been around someone with the disease.
Prevention
Preventive antibiotics for family members and other close contacts are often recommended. Speak with your provider about this option.
A vaccine that covers some, but not all, strains of meningococcus is recommended for children age 11 or 12. A booster is given at age 16. Unvaccinated college students who live in dormitories should also consider receiving this vaccine. It should be given a few weeks before they first move into the dorm. Talk to your provider about this vaccine.
Vaccine
All content below is taken in its entirety from the CDC Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine Information Statement (VIS): www. cdc. gov/vaccines/hcp/vis/vis-st...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleReferences
Marquez L. Meningococcal disease. In: Cherry JD, Harrison GJ, Kaplan SL, Steinbach WJ, Hotez PJ, eds. Feigin and Cherry's Textbook of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 88.
Stephens DS, Apicella MA. Neisseria meningitidis. In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 211.
Review Date: 12/4/2022
Reviewed By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Associate in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.