Nursing care of a child with meningococcemia

This case presentation will discuss the pathophysiology of a child in septic shock due to Neisseria meningitidis. The most prevalent nursing care concerns of this case encountered during the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and during the general floor stay will be addressed. The nursing skill required for identifying problems and planning care that clearly fall under the nursing domain also will be covered. In addition, the complexities of this case demonstrate that collaboration between the PICU nurse and the general pediatric nurse is imperative for successful patient outcome. A.W. was a 5 1/2-month-old infant transported to our PICU from a referral hospital in the state. Diagnosis at time of admission was meningococcemia, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy, septic shock, respiratory failure, and purpura fulminans. There was a 2- to 3-day history of a runny nose, cough, and vomiting. On the day of admission, A.W. had three seizures and developed a fever and a purpuric rash.