warning ! a bit long winded!
my 6 month old niece was rushed to hospital
last month. After she stopped breathing, and my mum ( her grandmother) saved her and kept her going until the ambulance arrived.
On the ambulance ride she stopped breathing again, and at hospital spent 24hours in special care .
Over the last three months she has had three courses of antibiotics for chest infections, and two 'fits' which were blamed on the common febral convulsions that young babies have from time to time.
During her hospital stay they established that she was being posioned by her own lungs which couldnt empty.
They said she has asthma and possible epilepsy. (SP?)
During her time in hospital she was given IV of antiboitics and injections in her foot of anti virals.
Her foot swelled up hugely and large blisters appeared. Two weeks later her foot needs to be dressed every day, and where the hives have gone large red scars are all over her foot.
Her hospital doc took a photo of her foot as she said that reactions like this were very rare.
( although my mother pointed out that allergic reactions were pretty normal for our family!!)
has anyone ever had this problem?
any research out there? ( I cant find any)
any more problems for the future for my neice with this allergy?
We are all still awaiting the results of babys epiepsy tests, and she is on ventolin and other asthma treatment regularly.
Although she still does sound a bit 'wheezy' to me.
We are all still in shock as a family, and unhelpful comments by hospital docs along the line of 'she was ten mins from death' are still burning through our minds.
We are relived also that she has no brain damage, when there was that possibilty.
My sister is only now starting to go to sleep ( other than standing all night by her babys cot) but my mother says flashbacks are keeping her awake all night.
Baby is regaining lost weight, but mum and grandmother have lost lots!!
hope you can help.
sarah
I'm no expert, but I did a quick search of some anti-virals on Medline, and noticed some of the less common side effects did include swelling of extremities, blistering and peeling of tissue, and increased seizure activity in epileptic patients. If you knew what the anti-viral was, I guess you could see if you think the side effects are as described. I would assume the doctors are watching to make sure it isn't an infection on her foot. If it's not an infection, I would think the foot swelling would be considered an allergic or immune response type of reaction to the anti-viral drug.
Poor baby. I hope she's feeling better soon.