[Therapy-refractory fulminant meningococcal sepsis].
Two cases of the severe form of meningococcal infection are described. A 17-year-old girl and a (unrelated) 2-year-old boy suddenly developed fever and rigor. Several hours later petechiae of the skin were noted: they rapidly spread. On admission the girl was found to have a severe consumptive coagulopathy (prothrombin 24%, partial thromboplastin time 104 sec, fibrinogen 73 mg/dl, platelets 35,000/microliters). She died two-and-a-half hours after admission of treatment-resistant shock. The boy had at first only a low prothrombin value (39%), but later the other coagulation values also became abnormal. He died 16 hours after admission from the consumptive coagulopathy and profound anaemia (haemoglobin 7.4 g/dl, haematocrit 0.23). Neither patient had any clinical signs of meningitis. Isolation of Neisseria meningitidis from blood cultures confirmed the diagnosis.
Eigentler
A
A
Bundesstaatliche bakteriologisch-serologische Untersuchungsanstalt, Universität Innsbruck.
Lechleitner
P
P
Wiedermann
C
C
Fischer
H
H
Mikuz
G
G
Dierich
M P
MP
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011693:Purpura / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012772:Shock, Septic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy
Therapierefraktäre fulminante Meningokokkensepsis.