Health professional resources

All the materials have been developed in consultation with experts in the respective fields and have been pre-tested or evaluated by the specific group at which the resource is aimed.

Many of our materials have been produced as a direct result of research funded by MRF, and are reviewed and updated regularly.

You can order these materials online through our resource centre or you can download them by clicking on the image of the resource.

Note that these resources were written for a UK audience and therefore reflect the health services and systems in that country.

Resources for health professionals in primary care

Diagnosis and treatment in general practice: Meningococcal Meningitis and Septicaemia Guidance Notes For: General Practitioners To help in the recognition of meningococcal disease, particularly in the early stage, emphasising key factors to identify severely ill patients.

Vital signs, Vital issues For: Community Practitioners To assist with early recognition of meningitis and septicaemia; to inform about meningitis vaccines and the diseases they prevent, and to help practitioners reassure parents about vaccine safety.

 

Resources for health professionals in the hospital setting

Lessons from research for doctors in training For: Junior Doctors To help doctors in the diagnosis and treatment of meningitis and septicaemia. Research funded by Meningitis Research Foundation established that a few clinical errors repeatedly led to delayed or inadequate treatment of children with meningitis and septicaemia, often with devastating consequences. The booklet uses individual case histories as a basis for group discussion and learning. The clinical management points are based on the good practice guide Early Management of Meningococcal Disease in Children (see below).

Early Management of Meningococcal Disease in Children For: Doctors in A&E, PICU, Paediatrics and General Medicine Developed with St Mary's Hospital, London. Use of this protocol at the St Mary's unit reduced the meningococcal disease death rate from 23% to 2% over a five year period. It was further validated by a national UK study funded by the charity, showing that children managed in line with this protocol were more likely to survive than those who were not.

Early Management of suspected Bacterial Meningitis and Meningococcal Septicaemia in Immunocompetent Adults For: Doctors in A&E, Critical Care, Infectious Diseases and General Medicine The algorithm focuses specifically on minimising delays in diagnosis and administration of antibiotics, appropriate use of monitoring, investigations, critical care facilities and management of the complications of the disease, primarily shock and raised intracranial pressure. As most adults with bacterial meningitis or meningococcal septicaemia present to clinicians with little experience of these conditions, the algorithm aids early recognition, stabilisation and institution of specific therapeutic measures, which are crucial to patient outcome.

Early Recognition of Meningitis and Septicaemia:Vital Signs for Frontline Nurses For: Frontline Nurses (Triage) Focuses on the measurement of vital signs to detect the underlying symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia.

Meningococcal Septicaemia: Identification & Management for Ambulance Personnel For: Ambulance Personnel in the UK To help Ambulance Personnel identify and manage meningococcal septicaemia in patients they are transporting to hospital.