- Infectious disease regulations
Includes School exclusion table
Meningococcal - Advice for medical practitioners
Page contents: Symptoms in children and adults | Symptoms in infants and young children | Immediate actions | Antibiotic therapy | Notification | Poster for medical practitioners | Immunisation advice
Consider a diagnosis of meningococcal disease if signs and symptoms include:
- Fever, pallor, rigors, sweats
- Headache, neck stiffness, photophobia, backache, cranial nerve palsy
- Vomiting and/or nausea, and sometimes diarrhoea
- Lethargy, drowsiness, irritability, confusion, agitation, seizures or altered conscious state
- Moaning, unintelligible speech
- Painful or swollen joints, myalgia; difficulty walking
- Whilst the absence of a rash does not exclude meningococcal disease, note in particular any haemorrhagic rash, particularly of a pinprick, petechial or purpuric appearance
In infants and young children the following may also occur:
- Irritability, dislike of being handled
- Tiredness, floppiness, drowsiness
- Twitching or convulsions
- Grunting or moaning
- Turning from light
Note in particular:
- Rapid deterioration in clinical condition
- Repeat presentations to surgery/hospital
- Normally calm friends/relatives who are more worried than symptoms apparently justify
Immediate actions
Carry benzylpenicillin in the doctor's bag. If meningococcal disease is suspected:
Immediately:
- Call an ambulance, and;
- Administer antibiotics IV (IM if IV impossible)
- Only if possible, collect blood for culture
Immediate antibiotic therapy (all ages)
Empirical therapy prior to hospitalisation:
- Benzylpenicillin: 60 mg/kg up to 3g IV/ IM or; Ceftriaxone: 50 mg/kg up to 2g IV/ IM.
- Penicillin should only be withheld in cases who have a definite history of anaphylaxis. If in doubt, check with Infectious Diseases Physician at nearest hospital
Notification
All cases of meningococcal disease, whether suspected or confirmed, must be notified immediately, by telephone, to the Communicable Diseases section of the Department of Human Services - 24 hour/7 day service.
Contact the Communicable Diseases section
The Communicable Disease Section is responsible for identification of contacts who require clearance antibiotics, and other public health aspects of this disease.
Poster for medical practitioners
Meningococcal disease poster (61kb, pdf)
Immunisation advice
Updated advice for medical pratitioners (July 2005) below.
Updated advice for medical practitioners (July 2005) (191kb, pdf)
Related information