Managing meningococcal disease in general practice
Introduction from the BMA.
"The British Medical Association is pleased to support the Foundation's booklet for General Practitioners. Diagnosis and appropriate treatment of meningococcal disease in its early stages is vital in saving lives and reducing morbidity. We hope that the booklet and wall chart will aid GPs in the recognition of meningococcal disease."
Dr Laurence Buckman, BMA GP negotiator
PROMPT RECOGNITION AND TREATMENT OF MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION CAN SAVE LIVES.
The last decade saw cases of meningococcal disease rise to a fifty-year high. Despite the resounding success of the recent vaccination programme against Group C meningococcal disease, the number of cases of Group B and recent outbreaks of Group W135 meningococcal disease are still a cause for concern. Therefore, Meningitis Research Foundation has updated its popular Guidance Notes for GPs - Meningococcal Meningitis and Septicaemia: Diagnosis and Treatment in General Practice , incorporating the Meningococcus Forum's new advice on alternatives to penicillin in severe penicillin allergy.
Originally launched in April 2001, this resource aims to help GPs in the recognition of meningococcal disease, particularly in the early stage, emphasising key factors to identify severely ill patients.
The need for this resource was identified as a direct result of initial findings from a study of healthcare delivery and outcome of meningococcal disease in children, carried out at Imperial College School of Medicine and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and funded by the Foundation. Produced as a booklet and wall chart, these Guidance Notes are endorsed by the BMA and the Irish College of General Practitioners. They were written with the help of a panel of experts in meningococcal disease representing a broad range of clinical experience including general practice, A&E medicine, public health and infectious diseases. The resource was piloted amongst a sample of GPs throughout the UK and Ireland, whose feedback shaped the final version.
Consultation and piloting also involved the Royal College of General Practitioners, and the Irish College of General Practitioners, the National Association of General Practitioners Co-operatives, the Medical Defence Union, the Medical Protection Society, and the BMA.
The booklet and wall chart are provided here as Adobe Acrobat documents.
Booklet(730kb)
Wall Chart (237kb)
If you would prefer for the booklet and wall chart to be sent to you free of charge, use our online ordering service to request these and other Foundation resources.
Page last updated 03.04.07