High hair recently! The children were both admitted to the hospital for rescue, and the mother regretted not doing one thing

▎WuXi AppTec Content Team Editor

Every fall and winter, when the weather turns cold, diarrhea increases.

Among them, viral diarrhea caused by rotavirus and norovirus is the most common, and infants and young children under the age of 5 are especially susceptible to infection, which often catches parents by surprise.

Today, we will share the real experience of a mother, Brooke Matthys, taking her baby to see a doctor↓↓

Story: My son and daughter were both infected with rotavirus, and I regret it later

It was late that night when I suddenly found my 2-year-old daughter very ill, lying on the sofa motionless, staring into the distance.

My husband and I hurriedly sent our daughter to a nearby clinic. After the infusion, my daughter seemed to be in better spirits. We breathed a sigh of relief and took the baby home.

But the good times didn’t last long, and the next day, our beautiful and lovely daughter fell ill again on the sofa, motionless. She has been vomiting and diarrhoea for three days.

Image source: 123RF

This time we didn’t dare to take it lightly and finally took her to the hospital emergency room. The doctor said she was dehydrated and needed fluids through an infusion.

The paramedics tried inserting an IV line in her left arm, but all three possible veins failed. Later, I tried the right arm, hand, foot and even the forehead, a total of 12 times, all ended in failure.

It turned out that she was so dehydrated that it was almost impossible to get an IV.

When I watched my daughter suffer, I couldn’t express the pain in my own heart.

She was weak and frightened when the needle was inserted, and the only thing she could do was cover her head with a “little blanket.” Due to her severe dehydration, her tiny eyes were sobbing that she couldn’t even shed tears.

Some medical staff said to call the NICU to try to find the veins, then to call the vascular surgery, and even said that a bone marrow aspirate might be done , Rehydration by intramedullary infusion.

I can only watch helplessly by the side, my heart is broken.

Science time

In the event of shock, severe dehydration or other emergencies, venous access cannot be established in a timely and effective manner due to collapse and contraction of peripheral veins. At this time, intramedullary infusion is a fast, safe, and effective alternative.

Because there are abundant cavernous venous sinuses in the bone marrow cavity, which communicate with the systemic circulation, even if the patient is in shock or hypovolemia, it will not collapse, and the fluid input from this channel can quickly enter the systemic circulation .

Why is my child so sick?

We didn’t know the cause until the next day, when we followed the child to the Children’s Hospital, where the vascular surgery established venous access and the hospital did further examinations – it turned out that this Disease is caused by rotavirus.

I couldn’t believe it when I heard the results.

Older children in my family have also been infected with rotavirus, but they have never been as sick as my sister.

At this point, I suddenly recalled a time when I took my child to the county health bureau to get vaccinated. I saw that there was a rotavirus vaccine at that time, but I didn’t think it was necessary to vaccinate my child. .

It seems that I still “underestimate the enemy” and underestimate the power of this virus, which has also caused my children to suffer.

Image source: 123RF

A few hours after my diagnosis, my friend who was at home with my 3 other kids called to say that my 8-month-old son wasn’t doing too well – I instinctively In response, the younger son should also be infected with rotavirus, because I have been running between home and the hospital these days.

Shortly after, she called to say that her younger son was deteriorating, and I just arrived at the clinic.

That night, I was in the ambulance for the second time in two days. Like the younger daughter, the younger son is severely dehydrated and requires intravenous fluids and close monitoring.

So, my husband and I took care of a young child alone and spent 4 sleepless nights in the hospital.

The two children are in different wards, 5 rooms apart. We occasionally meet in the hallway, swap rooms, and share the latest news.

This has been a long and difficult time, and we are all stressed.

What I regret most is that rotavirus infection is clearly preventable. If I had taken the time to vaccinate my children against rotavirus, it might not have gotten this serious.

I hope all parents take this as a warning, and don’t be as careless as we are, letting children suffer so much, and being parents also uncomfortable.

Science: What to Know About Rotavirus

What is rotavirus infection?

Rotavirus infection is the most common cause of diarrhea and vomiting in autumn and winter.

This virus is highly contagious, typically spread by fecal-oral contact, and can survive on hard surfaces for several days.

Infants and toddlers, especially under the age of 5, are most susceptible and have more severe symptoms than adults.

After infection, patients experience a low-grade fever, followed by 3-8 days of vomiting and diarrhoea (usually “pulling first”), sometimes with abdominal pain.

How is rotavirus infection treated and prevented?

Rotavirus infection is a self-limiting disease. There is no specific antiviral drug. It depends on the body’s immunity and virus resistance. It will eventually heal itself in about 7-10 days. .

But beware,diarrhea and vomiting can lead to symptoms of dehydration, such as increased thirst, little or no urine, dry crying without tears, sunken eyes, dry skin, and reduced elasticity (press a nest), dizziness, weakness, unusual drowsiness or even coma.

Adults drink water when they are thirsty, but children may not want to eat or drink because of discomfort, which can further exacerbate dehydration symptoms.

Image source: 123RF

Mild-to-moderate dehydration, take oral rehydration salts (over-the-counter, available at pharmacies), and eat liquid foods with a little salt (such as vegetable broth, Rice soup, etc.), do not eat high-sugar or high-fiber foods, which are easy to aggravate vomiting or diarrhea. Severe symptoms should go to the hospital in time, otherwise it may be life-threatening.

People who have been infected with rotavirus can still get it again the following year.

Fortunately, preventing infection is not difficult. Vaccination against rotavirus is the key to reducing the risk of infection, and even if infected, symptoms will be less severe.

In life, let children wash their hands regularly before meals, and disinfect toys and other items that children come into contact with every day.

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