A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Management of Severe Purpura Fulminans in a Burn Center: A Case Series

Mohammed Asif; Luis Quiroga; Tomer Lagziel; Seth B Ladd; Julie Caffrey

doi:10.7759/cureus.5478

A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Management of Severe Purpura Fulminans in a Burn Center: A Case Series

Cureus. 2019 Aug 25;11(8):e5478. doi: 10.7759/cureus.5478.

Authors

Mohammed Asif¹, Luis Quiroga¹, Tomer Lagziel², Seth B Ladd³, Julie Caffrey¹

Affiliations

¹ Surgery, Burn Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
² Medicine, Burn Center, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA.
³ General Surgery, St. John's Episcopal Hospital, Far Rockaway, USA.

Abstract

Purpura fulminans is a life-threatening hematological emergency characterized by skin necrosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation requiring rapid diagnosis and treatment. We present a case series of patients with severe purpura fulminans who were managed via a multidisciplinary approach at a regional burn center. We report the burn unit perspective which includes current intensive care guidelines with early surgical intervention, in addition to a review of the pathology and clinical features of the disease. Proper wound management and expeditious surgical evaluation can help reduce the mortality and minimize amputations. Early referral to a burn center with a multidisciplinary team is recommended for the best outcomes in these patients.

Keywords: disseminated intravascular coagulation; purpura fulminans; sepsis.

Publication types

Case Reports