earthmother Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 Our son has been ill on and off since visiting the Dominican Republic. My husband is convinced its malaria. My son will be fine and then suddenly develop a fever of 102 or 103, start vomiting, hallucinating, etc...By the next morning he is completely fine (the illness lasts about 18 hours.) The cycle returns a few days later or a week later and disappears just as fast and he is completely fine then. We've had a CBC done on him and took him to the emergency room but they didn't do any malaria or other tests on him. Just came across a home test kit which I almost feel like trying. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 If you didn't do an anti-malarial drug before/during your visit then I would have him tested. The symptoms can vary slightly from person to person but they definitely come and go as you describe. If the test came back negative, then I would have him tested for parasites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted February 2, 2010 Share Posted February 2, 2010 We've had a CBC done on him and took him to the emergency room but they didn't do any malaria or other tests on him. Just came across a home test kit which I almost feel like trying. thanks Why not just go to an infectious disease specialist? Did he go to a travel clinic prior to his trip? What do they say? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Our son has been ill on and off since visiting the Dominican Republic. My husband is convinced its malaria. My son will be fine and then suddenly develop a fever of 102 or 103, start vomiting, hallucinating, etc...By the next morning he is completely fine (the illness lasts about 18 hours.) The cycle returns a few days later or a week later and disappears just as fast and he is completely fine then. We've had a CBC done on him and took him to the emergency room but they didn't do any malaria or other tests on him. Just came across a home test kit which I almost feel like trying. thanks Yes, it could be. He needs to be tested specifically for malaria. I wouldn't bother with a home test. If it's negative, he still should be seen, because I wouldn't rely on it. If it's positive, he needs to be seen. You won't gain anything by doing a home test, but you will be lining someone else's pocket. emedicine Clinical symptoms include the following: Cough Fatigue Malaise Shaking chills Arthralgia Myalgia Paroxysm of fever, shaking chills, and sweats (every 48 or 72 h, depending on species) [*]The classic paroxysm begins with a period of shivering and chills, which lasts for approximately 1-2 hours, and is followed by a high fever. Finally, the patient experiences excessive diaphoresis, and the body temperature of the patient drops to normal or below normal. [*]Many patients, particularly early in infection, do not present the classic paroxysm but may have several small fever spikes a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraceinMD Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Sure sounds like cases of malaria I've seen in practice. (Also sounds exactly how my mom describes my dad from their honeymoon (he was just back from the Korean War): high fevers, vomiting:tongue_smilie:, sick as a dog ... then .... just fine, wanting to go play golf (!) .... then sick as a dog....then just fine. I don't think she has very happy memories of their honeymoon. :glare:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonshine Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I don't know what other diseases are possible to get while in The Dominican Republic, but Dengue Fever has similar symptoms. When my son went to Central America, someone from his group came down with it upon return home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KAR120C Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Any fever after a trip should be investigated. And although I'm sure there are many many fine ER docs out there, I wouldn't count on the ER to have specialist knowledge in anything like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 If there is a university hospital in the area, most of them will have a travel clinic or a tropical disease specialist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I urge you to visit someone with tropical disease specialty, and quickly. Regular American doctors are not particularly helpful because they don't know anything about it. I test myself and kids during a trip and before we go, and I've been known to bring medicine back with me to treat just as a precaution. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I urge you to visit someone with tropical disease specialty, and quickly. Regular American doctors are not particularly helpful because they don't know anything about it. I test myself and kids during a trip and before we go, and I've been known to bring medicine back with me to treat just as a precaution. :iagree: Do you know any missionary medical doctors or former missionary medical doctors. They're your best resource for not ending up at NIH stuck in isolation. :D (speaking from experience) Are you near Minneapolis? I can refer you to one who worked in Africa for 10+ years and still is practicing in the US. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 :iagree: Do you know any missionary medical doctors or former missionary medical doctors. They're your best resource for not ending up at NIH stuck in isolation. :D (speaking from experience) Are you near Minneapolis? I can refer you to one who worked in Africa for 10+ years and still is practicing in the US. Agree she needs a doctor with experience in infectious/tropical diseases but also a good lab. I'd be looking for a University hospital or medical school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
earthmother Posted February 3, 2010 Author Share Posted February 3, 2010 I appreciate all your input. Because of the days in between my son getting the fevers I tend to think he's on the mend and all is well. I do need to find an infectious disease specialist as mentioned. we live in an area where medical care isn't the strongest so I'll have to research on my own. His pediatrician scoffed at me when I mentioned malaria and the ER docs refused to test him because he was fine by the time they finally got to us (6 hours after check in.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perry Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Go back and go all mama bear on them. They will eventually do the test just to get you out of the office. Practice saying "We will leave just as soon as the Malaria test has been run...." in a polite but firm voice. One reason that they may have scoffed is if they don't have the test and they don't want to admit they are unprepared. You would be amazed what it took for me to get a Whooping Cough test and I live near a major city. The preferred test for malaria is a peripheral smear- it's just a drop of blood on a slide, examined under a microscope. Any hospital lab would have the materials to do it. Whether they know how to do it correctly and interpret it is a different story. With those symptoms, even if they did the test and said it was negative, I would not be convinced unless I knew the lab had experience with malaria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 The preferred test for malaria is a peripheral smear- it's just a drop of blood on a slide, examined under a microscope. Any hospital lab would have the materials to do it. Whether they know how to do it correctly and interpret it is a different story. With those symptoms, even if they did the test and said it was negative, I would not be convinced unless I knew the lab had experience with malaria. I agree and I emphasize that if you suspect malaria as a possibility then you should pursue this. Malaria can kill you even *years* after you appear fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 It is especially dangerous in children who haven't had a lifetime of limited exposure to build partial immunity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonshine Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 I would want to know if he did have malaria or something similar. There may be a build up effect. Perhaps a test would show if he did have it. My friend who had Dengue Fever was told she would die of she ever got it again. I don't know how true that is, but it makes me think it's something to check into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 You can always have more than one problem. I would definitely see a tropical diseases person, someone who can take a good history and who know what is prevalent in DR, as well as do the right lab work. And as an aside -- not saying this would be true of your ds -- I know some people who worked deep in tropical forests for prolonged periods and got bad parasites -- they actually the best treatment by consulting veterinarians. A lot of regular doctors up here just aren't familiar with tropical climate problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelBee Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 :iagree: Do you know any missionary medical doctors or former missionary medical doctors. They're your best resource for not ending up at NIH stuck in isolation. :D (speaking from experience) Are you near Minneapolis? I can refer you to one who worked in Africa for 10+ years and still is practicing in the US. I would love if you could pm me that info. I am preparing to travel and adopt from Liberia in the future. That could be a wonderful resource for us. We are 10-15 min from Minneapolis. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 And as an aside -- not saying this would be true of your ds -- I know some people who worked deep in tropical forests for prolonged periods and got bad parasites -- they actually the best treatment by consulting veterinarians. A lot of regular doctors up here just aren't familiar with tropical climate problems. Well, yes, I was advised to deworm my kids every 3 months (the chemist was beyond shocked to hear that I'd never dewormed my kids...yikes!), which is not really considered the standard of care in the US. But is common veterinary treatment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoKat Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 I would love if you could pm me that info. I am preparing to travel and adopt from Liberia in the future. That could be a wonderful resource for us. We are 10-15 min from Minneapolis. :) sure, I sent him a note to get his information. He was the doctor at our bush hospital in Congo. My mom was the lab tech. :D When he responds I'll forward it on to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my2boysteacher Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Sure sounds like cases of malaria I've seen in practice. (Also sounds exactly how my mom describes my dad from their honeymoon (he was just back from the Korean War): high fevers, vomiting:tongue_smilie:, sick as a dog ... then .... just fine, wanting to go play golf (!) .... then sick as a dog....then just fine. I don't think she has very happy memories of their honeymoon. :glare:) Yes, there was a woman in a past homeschool group whose daughter developed malaria while in Africa on a mission trip. She developed symptoms when she returned, then they subsided. She actually talked them out of taking her into the hospital. When the fever and fatigue returned again, they took her to the hospital, but by that point it was too late and they lost her the next day. Please take him in and demand for him to be tested!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 I thought about this thread as I was researching for my own upcoming trip to southern Africa and came across these references to a couple of CDC hotlines for malaria questions, including one after-hours number: http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/south-africa.aspx If the CDC thinks it is important enough to list not only a phone number but an after-hours number as well, that's pretty serious. Terri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 This thread is scaring me for your son. Please update when you know more. You all will be in my prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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