[Acute meningococcal infection (author's transl)].

Authors report 49 patients bacteriologicallyly diagnosed of acute meningococcal infection collected during a 12 months period out of a series of 76 cases diagnosed on clinical grounds. "N. meningitidis" was found in 18 blood and 43 CSF cultures. 31 cases were of the B-group, one was A-group and 17 were not typed. All of them were sulphamide resistant. Hyperthermia with vomiting, cephalea, arthralgia and seizures were the initial symptoms. All patients showed pettechiae, purpura and/or ecchymoses. Endotoxic shock was diagnosed in 26,5% of the cases. In them systolic blood pressures were under p-5. Overall mortality was 14%, and that of endotoxic patients 53%. Therapeutic routines and chemoprophylaxis are reviewed.