Nephew 20 months old 3 weeks ago started with diarrhea and his demeanor completely changed. Then started spiking fevers 101/102. Doctor stated stomach virus and keep on BRAT diet. This went on for over a week with diarrhea and fever. Then eyes became red and doctor gave drops saying still part of virus. Two days after that he then gets up and can't walk, cries any time you put him down and when does walk limps. Doctor ran tests and took stool and stated that stool shows bacteria (wasnt told which one) and gave him antibiotics. Has been on it for a day and is still spiking fever
Only time he seems like his normal self in terms of personality is with the motrin
Any other suggestions on what may be going on with him and what to do?
His eyes are red every once in a while and seems to get a rash on his face however the doctor gave him drops for that, however is walking seems to be getting worse. Doctors has mentioned toxic synovitis
I am not a doctor but my nephew had similar symptoms (red eyes and fever) and was diagnosed with Kasasaki disease. Again, I am saying I am not a Doctor but since you are concerned aunt I thought I should mention this. Please seek medical advice again.
I'd get a second opinion if I were his mother. There are some bacterias that taking antibiotics doesn't work against, and some that you shouldn't use an antibiotic against. Some of these bacterias just need to run their course.
There are also things the doctor should be telling her, like how to manage his care. It is imperative that she keep him hydrated. That means waking him up to make sure he is drinking. His kidneys could shut down if she doesn't. The doctor should be checking his urine for blood and crystals. If it doesn't get better, he should be in the hospital.
He needs bloodwork in addition to the stool sample workup.
He needs to stay well hydrated.
We can go a long time without eating solid food as long as we're well hydrated.
Our pediatrician said sometimes when a gut gets irritated it can stay irritated for a long time after the initial cause of irritation has resolved itself.
We went through 8 weeks of diarrhea with our son - and came out fine - dealing with the diaper rash was the worst part - I really had to stay on top of getting the diapers changed immediately.
Antibiotics will take time to work - I wouldn't expect a fever to be gone in a day - and 102 isn't really a high fever - especially if you can bring it down with tylenol and/or motrin.
With our son - warm bathes helped with stomach/intestinal cramps.
I'd give him a bath in the middle of the night if he needed pain relief.
A heating pad on low can help too.
Give him pedialyte, popsicles, jello, ginger ale, gatorade, clear chicken broth - give his gut a rest by keeping him on liquids for awhile (like a week) - and then very slowly introduce soft foods and gradually get him back to his normal diet.
You're (well his Mom) is working with a doctor and that's good.
Just hang in there.
He'll get through it but it might take awhile.
If the mother feels she is getting good answers from the doctor, I think you can relax a little. If the mother doesn't, she can get another opinion. For example, you say you weren't told which bacteria showed up in the stool - which is okay if the mother was told and either didn't share it with you or didn't recall. But if the mother feels info is being withheld, that's not good. Of course, bacteria in the stool are completely normal, so it matters if it's a different bacteria or if the count is excessively high.
I'm not surprised that antibiotics are taking more than a day.I'm also not surprised that a child's demeanor would change when he's running a fever and having constant diarrhea. BRAT diet is standard but she needs to really push fluids. I'd stay away from things with red dye in them - no red drinks or popsicles unless it's plain red fruit in the popsicles and jello. I'd stay off yogurt and milk, but consider cheese to help bind him up. Hydrate hydrate hydrate all the time - he's losing a lot of fluids through diarrhea. I know yogurt can be helpful in terms of probiotics, but it's dairy is also a contributor to intestinal distress so I think it's a balancing act.
The leg pain is tough to evaluate - but a lot of flu-like infections make the muscles ache. He's also not getting a lot of nutrition if he's pooping it all out, so he probably feels weak and just generally lousy.
Not sure what the red eyes are - but if people have a bit of a cold and they rub their eyes after touching their nose and the mucus secretions, those germs can get into the membranes of the eyes and cause conjunctivitis. That's not serious but it's highly contagious. Or maybe the doctor felt it was something else - no way for us to know.
Serious hand washing needs to go on all the time or this will just keep recirculating. It's not something you want shared with others!
These things can go on for a while, especially with a toddler who may not have the most varied diet or be able to voice what's going on. If he's eating and drinking, and producing wet diapers in addition to all the diarrhea, and if he's resting a lot, this may resolve itself soon. I'd give the antibiotics more time to work.
If for any reason the mother feels that the doctor is not being vigilant or that she's getting the runaround, I'd look into another opinion. But 101/102 is not a life-threatening fever, and I thin you may need to give it a little more time.
Are the eyes still red? Any rash?
