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The Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revised its guidance in the wake of research published in the BMJ in June that suggested children given penicillin by a GP before admission to hospital were seven times more likely to die than those who did not receive the antibiotic.       

After reviewing the evidence, the HPA has recommended that GPs should continue to carry benzyl penicillin and administer it in cases of suspected meningitis while arranging the transfer to hospital.  

In cases where diagnosis is uncertain, GPs should tell parents to come back for advice as soon as symptoms change. 

Linda Glennie, from the Meningitis Research Founda-tion, which was involved in the HPA’s review, explained that higher mortality was found in children given penicillin because only those with the most severe cases of meningitis were likely to receive the drug.  

Dr George Kassianos, a Berk-shire GP with a special interest in virology, said: ‘We should all carry penicillin in our bags, but also the ambulance crew should carry penicillin.’  

The advice coincides with the inclusion of pneumococcal vaccine into the childhood immunisation programme, which will offer children protection from the disease. From this month, the vaccine will be given at two, four and 13 months of age.