Can you have meningitis and seem well

[Alwaystired2]

Basically my one year old has a pin prick rash around his eyes that doesn’t disappear.He did have a mild temp last night and was sick once and had a snotty nose .However hasn’t been sick today or had any temp currently running around playing and seems absolutely fine .
I was going to ring 111 but then thought would they automatically send to a and e because of his age and seems crazy as he seems fine .
or can you have the rash before you get really ill I didn’t think you could any advice welcomed

111 wouldn't automatically send to a&e unless the answers you gave through the assessment suggested serious illness was a possibility.

A rash that doesn't fade, however, should be checked out.

Highly unlikely to be meningitis if running around but children can go downhill quickly. I’d call to be on the safe side

If you are worried don't hesitate to go to a&e BUT my eldest DD always gets pin prick rash round her face and neck after straining - eg vomiting, coughing fits or a massive screaming tantrum.
Doctor once told me unless it's spreading they only worry if it's below the midline, eg belly button level or below.
However this is just my anecdote - please don't hesitate to get extra advice

My brother had suspected meningitis due to the pin prick rash on face. Turned out it was burst blood vessels from vomiting (he had food poisoning).

Obviously trust your gut and get him checked out. But if the rash is just on the face it could be from when he was sick.

Thank you all for your quick replies I will call them now .I always find it hard as I’m overly anxious so question myself a lot

This is the rash it’s more red in real life

Oh we had this a few times with my middle one. In his case it was always a viral rash. It’s unusual for it to be non blanching but not impossible. In our experience non blanching rash and no temperature is no cause for concern and drs are not worried. (Add a temperature and it’s 12 hours of monitoring in A&E. Add being obviously unwell to that and its blood tests and three days in hospital to be sure.)

This is just our experience though.

Sorry didn’t attach

111 will generally always send you to A&E with a non blanching rash. We have been sent a few times. The Doctors there explained there are lots of non blanching rashes not just for meningitis but if it is a meningitis rash the patient is normally already quite significantly ill before it appears. Either way with a little one better safe than sorry.

My middle got this a few times, we were blue lighted to hospital by GP once but he was also very sleepy with mottled skin and had had an on off fever. He was fine in the end but get get some IV antibiotics and admitted for a day or two

They explained that they are much more concerned if they see it on the lower body, legs etc as it's less likely to be from coughing, being sick etc. Cant remember the exact reason for this bit it's to do with the blood vessels. Pinpricks on the gave alone is more likely to be innocent

He got it a few other times when he had viruses but was always fine. GPs always wanted to check each time though

I'd assume they are absolutely fine but try and get an out of hours GP apt

You'll get sent to hospital if it doesn't disappear. I had it with my DD when she was 1. Rash wouldn't disappear but no other symptoms and she was fine. 111 told me to go to the drs. I did, dr (locum) was puzzled because other than the rash she was well. Sent us home and told me to keep an eye. 30 mins later the locum dr rang me back to say he had spoken to another dr (permanently based at my surgery) who had told him we had to go to the children's day unit at my local hospital, they were expecting us and I was to collect a letter from my surgery on the way in. I opened the letter and it was because a rash that doesn't disappear under a glass is a symptom of sepsis. Hospital did urine sample and bloods, kept us in for around 6 hours before sending us back home with open access for 48 hours if anything changed. She was fine and rash disappeared within a couple of days.

Iv called and a clinician is calling me back .I answered no to every question other than the rash so what are the chances of them saying we have to go to a and e also would they automatically do bloods or a lumbar puncture.Even though he seems so well she could hear him laughing in the background like he’s clearly not unwell .

@mummyh2016 where abouts was the rash .From what I know meningitis rash is more torso and legs whereas this is just around his eyes

With DD they didn't do bloods until they had the urine results back which indicated an infection. She didn't have to have a lumbar puncture. I doubt they'll do one unless the bloods shows something up. I can't imagine it being that easy to do one on a 1 year old.

Hands and arms. Nothing on her torso or anywhere else on her body.

@mummyh2016 thats reassuring thank you .

Have you stripped him? Wee boy had this by the time I heard back from out of hours it had spread - he had hand,foot and mouth. Everything faded except around eye but doctor was certain was hand foot and mouth. Was very faintly on hands and sole of foot by the time he was seen

You’re right to get it checked but DD and me always get tiny red spots (I assume burst blood vessels) around the eyes after being sick.

Petechia are small spots of blood under the skin - they can be caused by vomiting (the raised pressure can lead to small blood vessels rupturing) or other reasons.

Meningitis is inflammation of the meninges, the lining of the brain - it causes vomiting, fever, photophobia and a stiff neck.

Some bacteria that cause meningitis e.g meningococcus also cause septicaemia - so if a child has meningococcal meningitis they can develop meningococcal septicaemia.

As another poster mentioned, it's the septicaemia that leads to the bleeding under the skin - this can start as petechia, but progresses to large areas of bleeding that looks like bruising. It's caused by blood vessels leaking and the child will be very sick at this point.

The rash resulting from meningitis is a very late stage symptom - you're talking potentially hours to live.

Children can go down quickly as a PP has said but they go downhill quickly before the rash, they don't remain seemingly fine for a day with it first.

Op what did 111 say?