A devastating disease
Both meningitis and septicaemia are incredibly fast acting and devastating diseases. Part of the problem with these diseases is that they often present with flu like symptoms in the early stages. This means that some patients that are ill with a serious infection have been turned away by doctors and have died as a result.
In Your role, you may be the first point of contact for patients with potentially life-threatening conditions. It should always be in the back of your mind that this person might have something far more sinister than a viral illness. A person should be encouraged to seek medical help again, if they or their child are getting worse.
There is guidance available to help clinicians distinguish between milder and more severe illness. There is the NICE guideline for feverish illness in children, sepsis guidance (adults) (NICE), and the bacterial meningitis guidance for children and young people (NICE). MRF also produce resources for both GPs and hospital Drs to educate about the signs and symptoms and how to manage these illnesses which are in keeping with existing NICE guidance.
Always remember
- Trust your instincts
- Symptoms can appear in any order
- Not everyone gets all the symptoms
- Meningitis and septicaemia can occur together or separately
- Someone who has meningitis or septicaemia needs medical help urgently