Doctors failing to spot Meningitis

Meningitis, one of the more serious childhood illnesses is being missed by out-of-hours NHS services, says a senior doctor.

Reports that parents were being sent home with feverish children without junior staff spotting the life-threatening conditions of meningitis have become apparent.

Anthony Harden, a lecturer in general practise at Oxford University, said that because children can suffer fevers for many reasons, it becomes difficult to diagnose the more serious connditions such as meningitis and Septicaemia. He also claims that government policy is making it harder to identify the worst cases because GP's are not providing enough frontline care.

He also criticised phonelines such as NHS direct by saying they could not make the kind of "holistic" diagnosis a GP could make face to face.

Thanks to The Guardian - 31/08/07

Meningitis and Septicaemia affect about 3,000 people in the Uk every year.

The main concern for parents is that the symptoms of meningitis are very similar to many childhood illnesses making it very hard to diagnose or act quickly. It can be especially hard to diagnose babies or young children who cannot tell you what is wrong or that they feel unwell. If you notice your child experiencing any of the following possible symptoms:

A stiff rather than sore neck where your child cannot put chin to chest.
A fever, often of over 39°C (102.2°F) and generally feeling unwell
Severe throbbing headache
An intense dislike of bright lights, even indoors
Lethargy (babies and children are floppy and hard to rouse, older children are unusually drowsy)
Vomiting
Purple-red rash which can appear anywhere on the body, known as the purpura rash, that does not fade when a glass is pressed against it

Take your child to the nearest casualty department and demand that you are seen at once – tell the staff you suspect meningitis.

What should I do?
If your child is under 18 months check whether the fontanelle (the soft bump on the top of the head) is bulging. Turn your child’s head into a bright light to see if he can tolerate it. Carry out the Glass Test: press a glass against the rash to see if the rash turns white when pressed. If it does NOT turn white but stays visible, or you notice any of the above symptoms, consult your doctor straight away or take your child to the nearest casualty department and demand to be seen straight away.

If in any doubt take your child to see a GP or nearest casulty department.