Why emergency nurses must be aware of the differential diagnoses associated with petechial rash before initiating treatment for invasive meningococcal disease
Children with a petechial rash commonly present to emergency departments. The rash can be associated with serious illnesses, such as invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), but is usually associated with less severe conditions. This article discusses the common and important causes of petechial rash, including IMD, viral illnesses, trauma, Henoch-Schönlein purpura and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. It also analyses the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (
Emergency Nurse. 24, 2, 27-35. doi: 10.7748/en.24.2.27.s25
Correspondence Peer reviewThis article has been subject to double-blind review and has been checked using antiplagiarism software
Conflict of interestNone declared
Received: 20 August 2015
Accepted: 31 March 2016
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