Meningitis and Sepsis – know the signs and symptoms, and act fast
Knowing the symptoms of meningitis and sepsis - and how they can vary – can prove to be the difference between life and death.
As part of sharing Cayden’s Story, and the chances that were missed to save him, my aim is to make parents fully aware of the symptoms – but equally to understand that their children could be seriously ill without showing any visible signs of it at all.
Most people believe a rash is the first sign of meningitis, but this is often not the case, and in Cayden’s case, the rash only appeared when it was far too late to save him.
When Cayden began developing meningitis the second time, my parental instinct made me worry early on, to the extent that I visited the GP at least twice before I called an ambulance to take him to hospital as it was clear there was something seriously wrong. Each time I visited the GP, I was reassured that everything was fine, they were all wrong..
With young children, toddlers and babies, symptoms of these serious illnesses can often be missed because they can develop at the same time as another sickness or condition.
This is why I am encouraging parents of young children in particular to trust their parental instincts, and demand that doctors fully investigate any illnesses causing concern.
Doctors are not always right, as I know too well…so here is some advice on the symptoms.
Please remember, a child could be displaying one or more of these…or none at all.
Trust your instinct, and never be afraid to challenge a doctor’s diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms of Meningitis
Although meningitis can appear in several forms, there are actually only two types - bacterial and viral, with the most common form of meningitis being caused by meningococcal bacteria, which can lead to a person contracting meningitis, septicaemia (sepsis) or both.
Babies and children under five are much more likely to contract bacterial meningitis so additional care should be taken when they are assessed.
Often there are no signs of meningitis in cases of sepsis and this can be a more life-threatening form of the disease.
For babies and young children under five years old, who are deemed to be most at risk of the disease, the main symptoms are:
- Agitation and refusing to be picked up
- Cold hands and feet
- Convulsions or seizures
- Drowsiness, floppiness or unresponsive
- High fever
- Pale, blotchy skin
- Rapid or shallow breathing
- Red rash – that does not fade under pressure
- Refusing to feed
- Stiff neck and sensitive to light
- Tense, bulging soft spot on top of their head, known as the ‘fontanelle’
- Unusual high-pitched cry or moaning
- Vomiting
The additional meningitis symptoms can be present in older children, teenagers and adults:
- Confused and irritable
- Difficult to wake up
- Severe muscle pain
- Severe headache
- Stiff neck
What action should doctors be taking to rule out meningitis?
If not treated quickly, meningitis will attack the three separate membranes which cover and protect the central nervous system, the brain and spinal cord.
Therefore, doctors should firstly administer high doses of antibiotics if meningitis is suspected.
To determine whether it is meningitis, tests should all be carried out to help confirm a diagnosis. These include;
- A Lumbar puncture – Spinal fluid collected for testing.
- Blood and urine analysis
- Chest X-ray
- CT scan of the head
How can I spot the signs of Sepsis (septicaemia)?
Sepsis is blood poisoning following an infection and can cause widespread inflammation, blood clotting, organ failure and death.
Around four out of every 10 people who get the illness will die, especially if it is not recognised early and treated promptly.
Statistics show that a person dies of sepsis in the world every 3.5 seconds, and largely, many people are unaware of the key symptoms to be aware of, often mistaking them for flu, chest infections or sickness and diarrhoea.
Again, these are symptoms which can be too easily dismissed as something else by doctors – so make sure that parent’s instinct kicks in – nobody knows a child better than their mum, dad or other family members.
In children, any child who is very lethargic or difficult to wake, breathing very fast, has a rash that does not fade when pressed, has a fit or convulsion, feels abnormally cold to touch or looks blotchy, bluish or pale when ill is a cause for extra concern.
For children under five, emergency care should be immediately sought if they are not feeding, have been sick repeatedly, or have not passed urine or had a wet nappy for 12 hours.
These are the signs that are vital for parents, patients and loved ones to recognise, but as I tell people all the time, there is no bigger warning sign than a parent’s concern, so know the symptoms, and act quickly if you have any concerns at all.