The child with a non-blanching rash: how likely is meningococcal disease?
Archives of Disease in ChildhoodPublished 1 September 2001Open access
Louise Wells
Citations91
SJR quartileQ1
SJR score0.97
SNIP1.16
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TL;DR
Most children with meningococcal infection are ill, have a purpuric rash, a fever, and delayed capillary refill, and should be admitted to hospital and treated without delay.
Abstract
Most children with meningococcal infection are ill, have a purpuric rash, a fever, and delayed capillary refill. They should be admitted to hospital and treated without delay. Children with a non-blanching rash confined to the distribution of the superior vena cava are very unlikely to have meningococcal infection. Measurement of C reactive protein may be helpful-no child with a normal value had meningococcal infection. Lack of fever at the time of assessment does not exclude meningococcal disease.
Keywords
Immunology and MicrobiologyMedicine
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