Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Meningococcal Meningitis

Abstract

Meningococcal disease may present as meningitis, septicaemia or a combination of the two. Generally, meningitis has a gradual onset, with fever, headache and neck stiffness as the most frequent clinical symptoms. In contrast, fulminant septicaemia may develop within hours, and is characterised by hypotension, disseminated intravasai coagulation (DIC), petecchial bleedings and shock. Mortality with septicaemia often reaches 30%.