Fulminant meningococcal septicaemia. A hospital experience.

In the first 5 months of 1975, 12 cases of meningococcal septicaemia were seen at a children's hospital where in previous years the condition was seen only sporadically. 3 of these children were dead on admission, 5 died shortly after admission, and 4 responded to treatment. Neisseria meningitidis was recovered from cerebrospinal fluid or blood or both in all cases, and the clinical illness was characterised by fever, prostration, and cutaneous purpura of abrupt onset. There were no significant previous illnesses, no recognisable prodromata, and, bacteriology apart, no pattern of laboratory results. There was a suggestion of centre-city clustering in the home background, although 2 of the patients came from rural areas. At necropsy gross adrenal haemorrhage was found in 6 of the 8 fatal cases, and upper gastrointestinal bleeds in the 5 deaths which were not sudden.