The fulminant meningococcemia or the waterhouse friderichsen syndrome is named after Rupert Waterhouse , an English physician and a Danish pediatrician, Carl Friderichsen. They conducted studies and wrote papers on the waterhouse friderichsen syndrome.
The waterhouse friderichsen syndrome is a very severe infection that demands immediate medical attention as it is a really fatal disease and if left untreated may also result in the death of the patient. Hence timely treatment is a very crucial factor. The duration of the waterhouse friderichsen is barely few hours which eventually leads to the death of the patient. Hence it is better to administer the right treatment at the earliest possible time to effectively reduce the risk of the occurrence of death.
The waterhouse friderichsen syndrome can be the reason for causing massive hemorrhage into either just one or in most cases, both the adrenal glands present in the human body. The waterhouse friderichsen syndrome is characterized by meningococcemia, an overwhelming infection caused by bacteria. Other characteristics of the waterhouse friderichsen syndrome are: low level blood pressure, occurrence of shock, disseminated intravascular coagulation or the DIC with purpura and developing adrenocortical insufficiency which develops at rapid speed.
Among the various forms of meningococcal septicemia, the waterhouse friderichsen syndrome is the most severe. Some of the symptoms of the waterhouse friderichsen syndrome include fever and vomiting followed by headache. After this rash appears which is at first macular. This is much similar to the rose spots of typhoid. This eventually becomes petechial and purpuric with a dusky gray color at rapid speed. The hypotension or low blood pressure rapidly leads to the condition septic shock. At this stage, the cyanosis of extremities can be good and the patient is found to be very prostrated or comatose. In the case of waterhouse friderichsen syndrome, the possibility of meningitis is really rare.
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