Meningococcemia - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

What Is Meningococcemia?

Neisseria meningitidis causes meningococcal disease, also known as meningococcal sepsis or meningococcal bacteremia, which is a bacterial blood infection. Since it causes meningococcal meningitis, which affects up to 20 percent of people with meningococcemia, this bacterium is mostly known for this. Bacteremia can develop in up to 75 percent of people with meningococcal meningitis.

Numerous bacteria, including Streptococcus B, Streptococcus A, or Staphylococci, can result in bloodstream infections or septicemia. In addition, other bacteria, such as Streptococcus pneumoniae or leptospirosis, can also cause meningitis. Compared to these other bacteria, Neisseria Meningitidis is more easily communicable between individuals and causes a swiftly progressing, serious form of illness (fulminant meningococcemia). Although there have been cases of meningococcemia in all age groups, older children and teenagers often have the highest infection rates. Even if they are immunized, complement immune system deficiencies and the use of complement inhibitors like Eculizumab put people at increased risk for developing severe meningococcal disease.

Up to 15 percent of cases of meningococcal disease also result in pneumonia, although bacterial arthritis, otitis media or middle ear infection, and other diseases also occur far less frequently.

What Are the Symptoms of Meningococcemia?

Following initial contact with the germs, meningococcal illness symptoms may not appear for two to ten days. Anyone exhibiting early symptoms should seek medical attention right away because the condition can swiftly turn fatal. Meningococcal illness first manifests as flu-like symptoms, such as:

• Fatigue (feeling tired).

• Chills.

• Fever.

• An ache in the muscles or joints and cold hands.

• Irritability.

• Fast breathing and vomiting.

Pharyngitis, tonsillitis, and laryngitis are all early symptoms of throat infections at this stage as the bacteria bursts through the lining layers at the back of the throat. Within hours, the most recognizable symptom of meningococcemia appears. When a glass or any object is pressed on the skin, a hemorrhagic rash develops that does not change color or disappear. However, not everyone gets rash. Additional signs in infants include a protruding fontanelle (soft spot) and a limp demeanor.

What Causes Meningococcemia?

The meningococci bacteria (Neisseria meningitidis), which are gram-negative diplococci bacteria, are what cause meningococcemia. The strains A, B, C, D, X, Y, Z, 29 E, and W135 are some of the groups of this bacteria that cause the disease in diverse ways. These groups can be detected by analyzing the patient's blood, skin rash scrapings, and cerebrospinal fluid samples. Due to the cultures' slow growth, testing could take up to five days.

Typically, a carrier transmits the bacterium, leading to infection. The carrier's nose or throat is where the bacteria live naturally, and they can transfer the infection through the air or through close contact. If the carrier is not identified and treated, it may continue to spread the infection for several weeks or months.

How to Diagnose Meningococcemia?

Meningococcemia may be suspected based on the patient's medical history and physical examination, but laboratory testing is necessary for a conclusive diagnosis. Patients should begin treatment right away without holding off because the condition can advance quickly. When diagnosing meningococcal infection,

• Medical personnels culture Neisseria meningitides from blood cultures. Most of the time, the bacteria multiply within one to two days, and Neisseria meningitides may be distinguished from other bacteria using biochemical techniques.

• The typical double kidney bean look of the bacterium (Diplococcus) can also be seen in stained samples of the growth, albeit additional biochemical tests are required to confirm the identification of the organism.

• Medical practitioners conduct tests to assess which antibiotics are likely to kill the bacteria once it has grown on a culture media (susceptibility testing), as there has been documented evidence of enhanced resistance to a number of antibiotics.

• Skin biopsies taken from the rash, in some cases, can be used to identify the organisms under a microscope; however, this is challenging, and a negative result is not a reliable way to rule out meningococcemia.

• Although they created the test for spinal fluid, researchers have used a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) laboratory test to find Neisseria meningitides in blood. The limitations of PCR include the inability to assess the susceptibility of the bacteria to certain drugs and the fact that not all hospital laboratories offer the test.

How to Treat Meningococcemia?

Meningococcemia requires rapid medical attention. In order to prevent the bacteria from spreading, one may be held in an isolation room after being admitted to the hospital.

• Antibiotics will be injected into the vein to start treating the illness. Patients might also get fluids through intravenous (IV) means.

• Other therapies are dependent on the symptoms patients experience. Patients will get oxygen if they have trouble breathing. They will almost certainly be prescribed medicine if their blood pressure drops too low. One drug used to treat low blood pressure is Fludrocortisone, and the other is Midodrine.

Bleeding disorders may result from meningococcemia. The doctor might administer platelet replacement medication if this happens. The doctor might, in some circumstances, decide to administer prophylactic antibiotics to the close contact of patients, even if they are asymptomatic so that they might not get sick from the infected individuals. Rifampin, Ciprofloxacin, or Ceftriaxone may be prescribed as well.

How to Prevent Meningococcemia?

• The dangers of infection can be reduced by practicing good hygiene. This entails properly cleaning the hands as well as protecting the mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing.

• By staying away from people who are coughing, sneezing, or otherwise exhibiting symptoms of illness, one can also help lower their risk of infection. Do not exchange personal items with sick folks. This implies refraining from sharing anything that comes in contact with the mouth until it has been well-cleaned.

• The doctor might advise taking prophylactic antibiotics if a person comes into contact with an infected person. This will lessen their risk of contracting the illness.

• The physician could advise that one gets vaccinated. People who are more likely to contract an infection, such as teenagers, college students, or those who are going to move into a shared living arrangement for the first time, should get vaccinated.

Conclusion

Blood poisoning of a serious nature is meningococcemia. Meningococcemia can cause physical, neurological, and psychological problems in some persons. It is brought on by bacteria that harm blood arteries, preventing oxygen from reaching vital organs and tissues. This can result in damage to the skin and tissue-organ failure, etc. Meningococcemia patients can recover fully, provided the infection is identified and treated with antibiotics quickly by medical professionals.