title: New guidelines for management and prevention of meningococcal disease in Australia. Meningococcal Disease Working Party of the National Health and Medical Research Council.
abstract: The incidence of invasive meningococcal disease in Australia has increased over the past decade, and in April 1997 the National Health and Medical Research Council published guidelines for management of patients with meningococcal disease and their contacts. These guidelines emphasise the need for immediate intravenous antibiotic treatment of patients with suspected meningococcal disease, before transfer to hospital or lumbar puncture. When possible, blood for culture should be collected before antibiotic therapy, if this does not delay treatment.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra. msp868@nceph.anu.edu.au
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Collignon
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Condon
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merianos
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines