Monday, June 05, 2017

Purpuric and petechial rashes


Key points from a  BMJ review:

Purpura represents bleeding into the skin or mucosal surfaces. Lesions are considered petechial if they are 2 mm or less in diameter.

The differential is wide and ranges from life threatening to more benign causes. The most feared cause is meningococcemia. That condition, if suspected clinically, warrants immediate administration of parenteral antibiotics pending hospitalization and further evaluation.

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