Meningococcemia is a life-threatening infection that occurs when
the bacteria, Neisseria meningitidis, invades the blood stream.
Bleeding into the skin (petechiae and purpura) usually occurs and
the tissue may die (become necrotic or gangrenous). If the patient
survives, the areas heal with scarring.
Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, PhD, MD, Instructor in
Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division
of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also
reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
