Life-threatening viral infection in 9 month old?

[Dianne-TX]

I have a dear friend who's 9 month old nephew is in isolation at the hospital with a viral infection. His symptoms were high fever (103), vomiting and a rash. They took him to the dr. and she immediately sent him to the hospital and before long he was put into isolation and everyone treating him or touching him (his parents) was required to wear protective gear. The medication they are using is an IV antibiotic and if any of it leaks onto his skin, he would be burned and require a skin graft. If he doesn't respond to the medication, his organs could start shutting down. Please pray for this family and infant. Also, what could this be? I've never heard of such an illness before.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Dianne-TX

[jillian]

My first thought was systemic MRSA but I don't know. Prayers

[mama2cntrykids]

Oh awful!! I have no clue what it would be, but I will be praying for this family :(.

[scrappyhappymama]

Hmmm, I don't know what the infection would be. But it's probably not viral if they are treating it so aggressively with antibiotics. Or, they think the baby has both a viral and a bacterial infection.

 

Will pray for your friends and their baby!

[jennsmile]

MRSA was my first thought due to everybody wearing protective clothing. :grouphug:

[Perry]

I would guess it's meningococcal disease. Meningococcus causes meninigits and/or sepsis (systemic infection in the blood) and is most common in that age group. The rash it causes is distinctive and when seen by a doctor is aggressively treated as meningococcus, because patients can go downhill incredibly fast.

 

Meningococcus is a bacteria, not a virus though. I suspect there is a miscommunication somewhere, as many people sort of lump viruses and bacteria together.

[Dianne-TX]

How would an infant get MRSA?

[Perry]

I would guess it's meningococcal disease. Meningococcus causes meninigits and/or sepsis (systemic infection in the blood) and is most common in that age group. The rash it causes is distinctive and when seen by a doctor is aggressively treated as meningococcus, because patients can go downhill incredibly fast.

 

Meningococcus is a bacteria, not a virus though. I suspect there is a miscommunication somewhere, as many people sort of lump viruses and bacteria together.

Also, people with meningitis are put in isolation as it can be transmitted through droplets (coughing and sneezing).

[Dianne-TX]

I wondered if it was meningitis, but the protective clothing, dangerous IV drug and isolation surprised me. My friend said the infectious disease dr. that was called in thought it was likely viral. (shrug) I haven't heard an update today. Maybe they'll know more and something more definitive was diagnosed.

[Perry]

MRSA almost always starts as a skin infection, and the systemic symptoms (fever, etc) occur later. I doubt if that's what this baby has, unless he has an obvious skin infection somewhere.

[Dianne-TX]

Also, people with meningitis are put in isolation as it can be transmitted through droplets (coughing and sneezing).

 

Good to know. That was one of the things that made me question if it was meningitis because I didn't know that they isolated the person.

[Dianne-TX]

MRSA almost always starts as a skin infection, and the systemic symptoms (fever, etc) occur later. I doubt if that's what this baby has, unless he has an obvious skin infection somewhere.

 

I think I remember my friend saying the rash came after the fever and vomiting.

[Perry]

My friend said the infectious disease dr. that was called in thought it was likely viral.

Often, those illnesses turn out to be viral, but you don't have any way of knowing that right away. So if they thought it was a possibility of being bacterial meningitis they would go ahead and treat until the tests all come back. If it's bacterial and you don't treat, it's fatal. If it turns out to be viral, those kids usually recover just fine.

[Dianne-TX]

Often, those illnesses turn out to be viral, but you don't have any way of knowing that right away. So if they thought it was a possibility of being bacterial meningitis they would go ahead and treat until the tests all come back. If it's bacterial and you don't treat, it's fatal. If it turns out to be viral, those kids usually recover just fine.

 

Thank you for your information. I pray it's viral. I had a male cousin, in his 40's, who died of bacterial meningitis a few years ago. He thought he had the flu and died in his bedroom. Sad to know it could have been treated had he just gone to the dr.

Edited January 24, 2012 by Dianne-TX

[Perry]

Thank you for your information. I pray it's viral.

I hope so to. :grouphug:

[Alice]

They are very quick to put anyone in the hospital on isolation to cut down on spread to other patients. Sometimes the "protective clothing" seems like what the person has is incredibly dangerous when really it's more of an issue of spread to other vulnerable patients rather than to healthy people.

 

A virus that could be treated as you describe is herpes. It's one of the few viruses that is treated with an anti-viral IV med that people often mistakenly call an antibiotic.

[Tammyla]

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[TrulySusan]

Often, those illnesses turn out to be viral, but you don't have any way of knowing that right away. So if they thought it was a possibility of being bacterial meningitis they would go ahead and treat until the tests all come back. If it's bacterial and you don't treat, it's fatal. If it turns out to be viral, those kids usually recover just fine.

:iagree: My youngest had viral meningitis at 3months old but had to be on IV antibiotics for several days while they ruled out bacterial meningitis. He is almost 8 now and perfectly fine.

[Dianne-TX]

My friend sent me an update and it turns out the infectious dr. determined that he had two seperate things going on: eczema and a viral infection. Seperately they aren't serious, but together they are. I'm guessing they were thinking MRSA/staph since he had a skin condition and then the systemic symptoms. He is doing better, but not out of the woods yet. They think they caught it in time to prevent internal damage. They were doing cultures to see what it was, which explains the isolation and protective clothing and beginning antibiotic treatment. They think he will be fine, but thanks for continuing to pray.

Edited January 25, 2012 by Dianne-TX

[Dianne-TX]

:iagree: My youngest had viral meningitis at 3months old but had to be on IV antibiotics for several days while they ruled out bacterial meningitis. He is almost 8 now and perfectly fine.

 

I'm so glad he recovered. I've never had to deal with that illness, but it puts fear in me when I hear about it. I pray I never have to deal with it.

[TracyR]

How would an infant get MRSA?

 

You'd be amazed. A friend of mine was telling me how her third daughter got this as an infant. She was 3 weeks old. They aren't sure how she got it, but she did. It started in her one breast and worked itself down. They had to go in and do surgery and pack it and everything. She said they were the first case of community based MRSA in our area.

[Mommyof4ks]

My friend sent me an update and it turns out the infectious dr. determined that he had two seperate things going on: eczema and a viral infection. Seperately they aren't serious, but together they are. I'm guessing they were thinking MRSA/staph since he had a skin condition and then the systemic symptoms. He is doing better, but not out of the woods yet. They think they caught it in time to prevent internal damage. They were doing cultures to see what it was, which explains the isolation and protective clothing and beginning antibiotic treatment. They think he will be fine, but thanks for continuing to pray.

 

How scary. That was a major concern for our pedi when my middle son had such bad ezema. It can be a pathway for such dangerous germs. Prayers that he makes a full recovery.