Seeking Opinions on My Son's Diagnosis

Updated on September 24, 2014
G.M. asks from Mobile, AL
5 answers

My son has recently been diagnosed with MRSA in his ear. (A little background: My son has a hole in his ear drum and we have been trying to get well enough to get it patched.) This week we have started running fever, having headaches and congestion. My ENT basically said his ear is showing progress and he doesn't think he is sick (my child always puts on a show at the doctor), but I pushed him to do bloodwork. His white counts have come back low and they will call me back at some point and give me the doctors opinion. Well, I have been waiting hours and I am freaking out. What could possibly be going on?

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So What Happened?

It seems that the medicine he is on for the MRSA in his ear lowered his WB count. Now we are dealing with a respiratory virus that causes wheezing. It just has to run it's course.

More Answers

C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

G.

Welcome to mamapedia!!

My youngest son had a hole the size of a #2 pencil in his ear drum. We were going to have surgery - but life events happened and we couldn't - it ended up healing on its own.

In regards to his blood work. Breathe. He could be anemic. He could be fighting a cold, things like that can cause white blood cell counts to plummet or multiply. What you do NOT have right now is a diagnosis and no one here is a doctor and if they were - they wouldn't give you a diagnosis over the internet.

You pushed for blood work. It was done. Now you need answers. No one here can give them to you. So BREATHE....

Headaches and congestion could be a sinus infection or strep. You'll get it figured out and you'll get your son on the road to recovery....in the mean time - STOP FREAKING OUT...panic and freaking out are NOT going to change anything in the results...

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M.S.

answers from Kansas City on

Don't panic, let the Dr. do his work. MRSA is difficult to clear up, but the low white count can be a result of the antibiotics. For example, Vancomycin IV given to treat MRSA can cause extremely low white count in some people.
Your child obviously has a compromised immune system and if he has MRSA in his system, surgery is the last thing anyone should do, unless it is to actually be a part of the treatment of affected area.
Someone mentioned tonsils and adenoids.......that is not a routine surgery anymore and should not be considered if MRSA is active and present. It can spread to different areas of the body and cause more problems.
He needs to be on good nutrition and build up his immune system. Take plenty of fluids and get lots of rest.

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B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Wouldn't his white count be high if he were battling a major infection?
It's annoying but hang in there - doctors offices are not always great at calling you back.
Has he had his tonsils and adenoids out?
Often that goes a long way to clearing up ear infections.

Additional:
Sorry Marilyn S but
"The combined tonsil and adenoid removal surgery is the second most common operation performed in children, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).".
It's common for a reason - the darned things can cause a lot of misery.
Our son had his removed right after his 4th birthday - not because they were infected - but because his tonsils had become an obstruction.
They were so swollen he was having difficulty swallowing, breathing and sleeping.
It was the best thing we ever did to have them out.
MANY kids have theirs out to clear up repeated infections - and more often than not it solves the problem.
He might have to be over the MRSA before having an operation, but soon as he's over it, see if you can schedule the surgery if the doctor recommends it.

http://www.healthline.com/health/adenoid-removal

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S.B.

answers from Dallas on

(from Web MD) MRSA is Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and it is a bacterium that causes infections in different parts of the body. It's tougher to treat than most strains of staphylococcus aureus -- or staph -- because it's resistant to some commonly used antibiotics. The symptoms of MRSA depend on where you're infected. Most often, it causes mild infections on the skin, like sores or boils. But it can also cause more serious skin infections or infect surgical wounds, the bloodstream, the lungs, or the urinary tract. Though most MRSA infections aren't serious, some can be life-threatening. Many public health experts are alarmed by the spread of tough strains of MRSA. Because it's hard to treat, MRSA is sometimes called a "super bug." A lot of people have gotten MRSA infections (including me) and they are often picked up in medical facilities (like hospitals). It is very contagious so you need to follow directions on medication and cleaning the area. Good luck!

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A.V.

answers from Washington DC on

FWIW, my SD had MRSA and as long as she kept it covered and took her medicine, everyone was fine. Doctors call you very quickly when there's a problem, so I would let it go til later today, if you just saw the report today. Doc may have to wait for a break in patients.

Friend's DH had a really nasty sinus infection, but at one point they were testing him for all sorts of crazy thinks like malaria, he was so sick. Relatively minor things can put you out of whack. Try not to think the worst.

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