title: Prognostic markers of meningococcal disease in children: recent advances and future challenges.
abstract: Meningococcal disease is a life-threatening condition and a major cause of bacterial meningitis and sepsis worldwide. In many fatal cases, meningococcal disease is rapidly progressive and death occurs within hours of the initial symptoms. The early identification of patients at high risk of death would be useful in order to provide aggressive and more personalized clinical management with the proper level of supportive therapy required, contributing to an improvement in the survival rate and reduction in sequelae. The current study aims to review the current published literature about prognostic markers of meningococcal sepsis in children in order to elaborate conclusions and recommendations that could guide clinical practice and further research.
authors.affiliation: Pediatric Infectious Disease and Vaccines Unit, Área Integrada de Pediatría, Hospital Clínico Universitario de, Santiago de Compostela, A Choupana s.n., 15706 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montero-Martín
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Inwald
authors.forename: Enitan D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Carrol
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martinón-Torres
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: children; marker; meningococcal; prognosis; score; sepsis; severity