[Physiopathology and curative treatment of meningococcal diseases: current aspects].
Early administration of antibiotics as soon as the diagnosis of meningococcemia has been evoked is a significant therapeutic advance. However, the poor outcome of these diseases whose mortality remains high despite the current techniques of reanimation shows that improving the vaccination against meningococci is still of actuality. Diagnosing rapidly severe meningococcal disease is also a means for acting against the pathological activation of the inflammatory and coagulation pathways. Significant advances have been made in understanding the physiopathology of the meningococcal purpura fulminans especially about the deleterious role of the deficiency of the protein C and the antithrombin III. It is too soon to advance that the prognosis of these diseases has been improved by these new therapeutic approaches but the results of preliminary clinical studies are encouraging. However, informing parents about the first skin abnormalities seen in infants with purpura fulminans is essential in attempt to improve the efficiency of these new therapeutic strategies.
Senneville
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Service universitaire régional des maladies infectieuses et du voyageur (Pr. Y. Mouton), hôpital Dron, 135, rue du Président-Coty BP 619, 59200 Tourcoing, France. esenneville@ch-tourcoing.fr
Baclet
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D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000382:microbiology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines