Life-threatening heart failure in meningococcal septic shock in children: non-invasive measurement of cardiac parameters is of important prognostic value

Heart failure is a life-threatening complication of fulminant meningococcal septic shock (MSS). Depression of left ventricular function, in particular , is thought to be due to circulating meningococcal endotoxin. Myocardial f ailure leads to ventricular dilation expressed by an increased left-ventric le end-diastolic diameter (LVED). With ultrasonography, LVED can be accurat ely measured as well as the shortening fraction (SF). In an evaluative stud y we investigated the accuracy of the SF and compared it to the accuracy of the Glasgow meningococcal septicemia prognostic score (GMSPS) in the predi ction of mortality in children with fulminant MSS. In 27 children admitted in a 4-year period with a presumptive clinical diagnosis of fulminant MSS, hypotension persisted for more than 1 h despite volume loading and inotropi c therapy. Seven of these children died (26%); all had an SF < 0.30 and a G MSPS greater than or equal to 10 (the sensitivity of both scores was 100%). Positive predictive values of the SF and GMSPS were 41% and 58% respective ly. Conclusions SF can be used in addition to other severity scores in clinical decisionmaking and contribute to the selection of children with the worst prospects for inclusion in experimental treatment studies.