Case report: purpura fulminans
This case is a prime example of why it is not recommended to eat leftovers from a year ago. According to a case report published in the New England Journal of Medicine in March 2021, a 19-year-old man developed abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting after eating rice, chicken and lo mein leftovers from a restaurant. The symptoms developed about 20 hours after his meal. His symptoms included worsening chills, blurry vision, neck stiffness, headaches, shortness of breath, muscle aches and weakness. He also developed purplish patches on his face, chest, abdomen and legs. And this isn’t usually a typical effect of eating lo mein noodles.
Although his friend had also eaten the same noodles, he did not get as ill. On presentation to the emergency room, his shortness of breath became worse, whereas his blood pressure also dropped. As a result, he required immediate oxygen therapy. Doctors also prescribed several medications and he was soon put under a ventilator. However, because the hospital was not well-equipped to take of the patient, doctors referred him to a paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was treated for shock and multiple organ failure at the hospital.
Investigations and treatment
Doctors advised blood and urine tests which were significant for Neisseria meningitidis. According to the case report the bacteria had made its way into his bloodstream. The bacteria had made its way into the patient’s bloodstream and was causing the symptoms, including “purpura fulminans” – a life-threatening emergency.
Purpura fulminans can develop in a time period of 7 to 10 days as a result of bacterial infection in your blood. Many blood clots form throughout the body that can block circulation to different areas of the skin. As a consequence, resulting in purplish areas of skin death that grow in size and form lesions called purpura.
In addition, the clots can also block circulation in the arms, legs, feet, toes and fingers, depriving them of oxygen. The cut off of blood flow can lead to the death of the tissue, including major organs such as the liver, lungs, heart and kidneys. This can cause your entire blood circulatory system to collapse.
Source: NEJM
