Red or purple, flat, pinhead spots that occur in the skin or mucousmembranes. Petechiae are caused by a localized haemorrhage from small blood vessels. They occur in purpura and, sometimes, bacterial endocarditis. pethidine A synthetic opioid analgesic drug similar to, but less powerful than, morphine. Pethidine is used as a premedication and to relieve severe pain after operations, during childbirth, or in terminal illness. As it may cause nausea and vomiting, it is usually given with an antiemetic drug.
Small red MACULES due to haemorrhage in the skin. They may be caused by trauma – such as by tight pressure, as in strangulation – or even by the e?ect of violent coughing. Bleeding and clotting disorders may provoke petechiae, and they are a feature of many childhood viral infections. Most importantly they may be a sign of SEPTICAEMIA due to a meningococcus (see NEISSERIACEAE).
pl. n. small round flat dark-red spots caused by bleeding into the skin or beneath the mucous membrane. Petechiae occur, for example, in the *purpuras.
A group of viruses that infect mice, rats and voles and can also infect humans who come into contact with the excreta or secretions of these animals. Widely distributed in Asia, the USA and Europe, in Britain hantavirus usually affects rural and sewage workers, as well as people engaged in watersports. Many victims have a mild feverish illness; severe cases are characterised by headache, high temperature, nausea, vomiting and even shock, accompanied by skin PETECHIAE. The kidneys and sometimes the lungs are affected, and in severely affected patients mortality is high.... hantavirus
A skin rash caused by bleeding into the skin from capillary blood vessels. The discrete purple spots of the rash are called purpuric spots or, if very small, petechiae. The disorder may be caused by capillary defects (nonthrombocytopenic purpura) or be due to a de?ciency of PLATELETS in the blood (thrombocytopenic purpura). Most worryingly, the rash may be due to a fulminant form of meningococcal SEPTICAEMIA called purpura fulminans. (See also HENOCH-SCHÖNLEIN PURPURA; IDIOPATHIC THROMBOCYTOPENIC PURPURA (ITP); THROMBOCYTOPENIA.).... purpura