Meningococcal disease

Fact File Meningococcal disease by Dr Jocelyn Lowinger Meningococcal disease includes a range of potentially fatal infections. But it's not all bad news; the number of people getting meningococcal disease has been decreasing over the last decade. Signs and symptoms Symptoms of meningococcal in older children and adults include: fever headache drowsiness, confusion, coma neck stiffness joint pains rash with purple-red spots or bruises it hurts to look at lights vomiting. When to go to hospital Reasons to take someone urgently to hospital include: a purplish/red rash that doesn't blanch with pressure an impaired level of consciousness or confusion headache far worse than you have ever had before neck pain or stiffness it hurts to look at lights severe leg pain close contact with someone with meningococcal disease if you are concerned. Diagnosis As well as the signs and symptoms a person has that suggests meningococcal, a number of tests can be done to help confirm a diagnosis including: blood cultures to look for infectious organisms in the blood blood tests to look for other signs of infection such as antibodies lumbar puncture looking at a sample of spinal fluid to see if infectious organisms are present.