Bacterial Meningitis

[skymama 37]

Our community is morning the loss of a 19 year old girl who lost her life to bacterial meningitis on Saturday. She was the sister of one of the boys that my son played soccer with a couple years ago. My fiance was just at the funeral, he knew her family well.

They said she was out with friends on Thursday and felt ill that night. By Saturday morning, she was brain dead. What's hurting her parents the most is the she signed a waiver to decline the immunization when she enrolled in college. By all accounts, she was a happy, energetic and lively person before Thursday night.

I'm just posting this as a PSA because I know there are a lot of people here who attend college, or are in situations where the immunization is recommended. I'm going to call my kid's doctor tomorrow to make sure their shots are up to date. I think I'll check on mine too.

Save your parents some grief, just get the shot.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[crotalus01 0]

Amen. One of my best friends died from bacterial meningitis last year. He went to dinner with his mom and grandmother that evening, said he felt sick afterwards like he had food poisoning. His mom went to wake him up for work the next morning thinking he had overslept and found him dead

As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD...

[skymama 37]

Oh, that's awful, I'm so sorry to hear that!

I think most people are quick to call it something else like food poisioning, the flu, a hangover...when you figure it out, it's sometimes too late. It's scary!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[piratemike 0]

wow. That's awful.

I can't imagine the loss.

There are people out there that don't immunize their kids.

[ltdiver 3]

I always believed that vaccinations were to prevent viral infections, and that antibiotics were used against bacterial ones.

A must read here: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/DBMD/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm

We learn every day...

Sorry to hear about your loss.

ltdiver

Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon

[drdive 0]

Sounds like Meningococcus. In my first year of practice, I had a 16 year old girl who woke up feeling like she had the flu, sore throat, aching, etc. Her Mom let her go back to bed, checked her in an hour, and she was unresponsive and had a rash. She was brought to my rural ER immediately, had low blood pressure, mimimally responsive, bad rash, etc. We threw every antibiotic at her, meds to increase her blood pressure, and flew her by helicopter to a tertiary facility. She was dead by 3pm that day. I have seen one other, a 3 year old child who presented with fever and fussiness, and she was dead in 16 hours. It is a rare infection, but can be catastrophically virulent. It occasionally crops up in college dorms. There is an immunization available -if you are sending your kids to college, have them get it. I pray I never see another case.

Doc

"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub"

"

[skydivermom 0]

First of all, Skymama, I am so saddened to hear this. My sympathies go out to her family.

Obviously by the time our kids are old enough for college, the decision to get vaccinated is totally theirs. I think both my kids have had a vaccine for meningitis, but I'm not sure if it was for THIS type. I think it was viral. What is the vaccine that protects against this kind and can you take it as an adult? I am about to become a college student again soon.

Mrs. WaltAppel

All things work together for good to them that love God...Romans 8:28

[tweak 0]

Yea, I've been watching the story on the local news but I'm surprised that there hasn't been any coverage otherwise.

Once the news got around the campus the students were lined up out the door to get the antibiotic (at $90 a pop I believe).

It's hard to believe that, as contagious as that is and how many people she came into contact with that nobody else has contracted it.

I'm not one for flu vaccinations or anything like that, but I have to agree with skymama on this one.

If you're regularly in contact with lots of other people, get the vaccinations.

An infection like this, given how contagious it can be, this could/can be much worse.

Get the shots!

[happythoughts 0]

My roommate in college (I know... right after the Earth cooled) was always at the pool after class to meet girls.
One stopped by the apartment to watch a movie Saturday evening.

On Monday, she had a really bad headache and went to the infirmary and was released. Same thing Tuesday. On Wednesday, she went back, lay down, and never came out. 21 years old.

We never did hear what the sickness was.
The univ has a college of medicine also.
You just don't believe that a disease can kill a healthy 21 yo in 3 days.

[drdive 0]

<<>>

The vaccination younger kids receive is for hemophilus influenza, a bacteria that commonly caused meningitis and other problems in kids. The vaccination for the bacterial meningitis mentioned for the college kids is for Meningococcus. You would have to ask for this specifically. It is not a common immunization, but I recommend it for students living in dormitories. It is relatively rare, but can come in clusters, and can be absolutely devastating in a short period of time. I recall the story of an intern that tried to resuscitate an infant with meningococcus, and the interm was dead by the next morning. Google "Meningococcal meningitis" for more info.

Doc

"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub"

"

[ladydyver 0]

the one case I have seen was very quick. the little girl die...didn't lose any limbs and came out ok. I credit to the fact that the parents recognized something wasn't right and brought her in with in 4 hours of symptom onset....the triage nurse roomed her immediately and the minute I say her I put her in isolation. Had her line started and medications ready to go by the time the doc got into the room which was only about 15-20 minutes. Not all the outcomes are usually that good.

DPH # 2
"I am not sure what you are suppose to do with that, but I don't think it is suppose to flop around like that." ~Skootz~
I have a strong regard for the rules.......doc!

[RALFFERS 0]

First, I'm sorry for your loss Skymama; condolences to the family amd anyone here who has lost a friend and/or loved oe to this horrible disease.

Secondly, I never heard of this sort of thing, and quite frankly you guys are freaking me out. I used to be somewhat of a hypochondriac, and this really isn't helping...

Dialogue/commentary between Divot, Twardo & myself -

"from your first Oshkosh when the three of us were riding to or from one of

[Derekbox 0]

...and as relatively uncommon as meningitis is, some 40-50% of the same college age group who are sexually active have HPV and people are still fighting vaccinating young women against it...

When will we learn?

[johndh1 0]

Oh my gosh...I've never been overwhelmed personally by a thread on this forum until now. Back a couple of years ago, Erica Van Zuidam was overtaken with this infection from her dorm in the U of Illinois. Smart, gorgeous, blond & blue, typical all-American girl from the Midwest. I remember the day when her parents had to decide whether or not to keep the life support going, and they wouldn't give up. Sometime later, she woke without limbs below the ankles or the forearms. This beautiful and gorgeous girl has not seen me in a few years (to my discredit), but her drive to keep on being a whole human without limitations completely exhausts me!
I couldn't do it.
She is My American Idol.

Roll Tide Roll

[mamajumps 0]

Yes it is very scary! I have sent a prayer out to the family and friends of this beautiful young lady. I have been watching the news coverage on the local news as well and it is so sad. I have friends who go to college at USF. I hope they all get the vaccination. Thanks for the PSA, Skymama....

[skymama 37]

Here's her obituary. I just noticed 258 people have already signed the Guest Book.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[bozo 0]

A long time ago when I was in Navy bootcamp they had an outbreak of bacterial meningitis and several young sailors died. We had to get shots and several of the companies were segregated thruout their training, 9 weeks, just in case.
They had us leave the windows in the barracks open 24 hours a day so supposedly the bacteria couldnt build up in the sleeping areas.
The fog always rolled in about 3 am and soaked us to the skin in our racks causing lots of colds and a few cases of pneumona.

bozo
Pain is fleeting. Glory lasts forever. Chicks dig scars.

[lauraliscious 0]

Does anyone know how long the vaccination for Meningococcus (sp? ) is good for?

Enemiga Rodriguez, PMS #369, OrFun #25, Team Dirty Sanchez #116, Pelt Head #29, Muff #4091

[tsampson 0]

This March, my little boy had a high fever so we took him to his Dr. They looked at him, said it was likely a viral infection, and sent him home. While we were in the office, though, the Doc noticed a faint red rash all over his torso. By the time we got home, the Doc was calling, saying he had reconsidered, and that he wanted to meet us at the local Children's Hospital. We were taken right back, and he was tested for meningitis. Luckily, his test came back negative, but he was kept in the hospital for a week on IV antibiotics because his symptoms matched so closely and they had ruled out everything else. His Doctor sure wasn't going to fool around with a possible meningitis case.

[skymama 37]

Wow, that must have been a lot of stress for your family! I'm glad your son was ok. Kudos to the doc for being careful.

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

[Conundrum 1]

Quote

...and as relatively uncommon as meningitis is, some 40-50% of the same college age group who are sexually active have HPV and people are still fighting vaccinating young women against it...

When will we learn?

Meningitis and HPV are not even on the same page.

[Derekbox 0]

Well gee thanks...

They arent on the same page granted. But you get a case or two of meningitis and everyone runs out to get there kids vaccinated. But make it a STI and all the sudden it is hush hush and taboo. Your daughters have a HUGE real life risk of contracting HPV and as a direct and severe result of such the high possibility of getting cervical cancer.

The CDC estimates 6 million americans contract HPV annually. World wide, somewhere in the ball park of 1/2 a million women are diagnosed with HPV induced ceervical cancer. But a little vaccine could address this issue... but since it is an STI - Nooooo, its taboo.

My point, yes meningitis is bad, and preventable, but of the bad preventable issues also out there, a little more focus may need to be addressed to some other issues.

I dont loose to much sleep over an illness that affects 0.5-5 cases per 100,000. I do on the other hand draw concern over an illness that affects nearly half of the sexually active persons in the college age range.

[livendive 8]

I had a brother die of meningitis as an infant (3 weeks old). 5 years later, at about the same time of year (only noted because of the yearly depression my mother experienced around then), I found myself hospitalized for a few days with meningitis. The pain was a little ridiculous (and spinal taps SUCK), but I escaped without any permanent damage. My mother ended up with a concussion at the same time...the doctors told her the diagnosis without knowledge of her previous brush with the illness, and she fainted & conked her head on a drinking fountain.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[johndh1 0]

Anyone know if a certain region of the U.S. is more affected by meningitis? I tried to search it, but I must not be wording correctly for the statistics by region or area.

Roll Tide Roll

[drdive 0]

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Says who???

"We saved your gear. Now you can sell it when you get out of the hospital and upsize!!" "K-Dub"

"