Fifty-eight cases of meningococcal pneumonia were included in this review. Fifty cases previously described in the literature from 1974 through 1998 and 8 new cases were included in this series. The median age of patients was 57.5 years, and pleuritic chest pain was described in 21 (53.9%) of 39 cases. Blood cultures were positive in 42 (79.3%) of 53 cases for which results were mentioned. Desp...

In a retrospective study, a comparison was made of clinical and laboratory data in 14 patients with meningococcaemia and 40 patients with meningococcal meningitis. Significant differences were found in duration of symptoms, onset of purpura, presence of shock, initial WBC, ESR, and serum fibrin degradation products. The overall mortality rate in this series was 7%, 4 patients with meningococcae...

OBJECTIVE To compare energy cost and stride characteristics during walking with 3 different types of prostheses in a person with bilateral knee disarticulations. DESIGN Single-case study. Setting Pathokinesiology laboratory. PARTICIPANT A subject with bilateral knee disarticulations and bilateral transradial amputations secondary to meningococcemia with purpura fulminans. INTERVENTIONS No...

INTRODUCTION The base deficit is a useful tool for quantifying total acid-base derangement, but cannot differentiate between various aetiologies. The Stewart-Fencl equations for strong ions and albumin have recently been abbreviated; we hypothesised that the abbreviated equations could be applied to the base deficit, thus partitioning this parameter into three components (the residual being the...