Sunday, August 12, 2012

Salmonellosis Bacteremia

Conner was doing so well yesterday morning, but mid-afternoon, he took a nosedive. :-(

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Saturday morning, Conner woke up being playful, laughing, interacting, AND…get this…saying “MOMMA”!!!!

He is so stinkin’ adorable, I just love this kid!

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Then Conner got tired and snuggled up with Momma.  What a joy to treasure up what lay (literally) on my heart.

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Around 3PM, Conner started shaking and trembling, crying inconsolably, with mottled skin and purple hands and feet.  His symptoms were the same as what he presented Wednesday night when he was transferred from ER to the floor, the same symptoms they stated meant he was going into shock.  We had a fabulous lunch who was heading to lunch when this episode occurred, so  I asked the doctor to come examine him.  The nurse hung out to wait to see what the doctor thought about this episode, but the doctor felt that since Conner’s vitals were fine and he didn’t have fever, we’d just watch him.  So, Conner’s nurse went to lunch.

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Within 45 minutes, I could tell that Conner was BURNING up, and he hadn’t stopped shaking uncontrollably, nor had he stopped crying.  I called another nurse to take his temp.  She did, then said, “Good call, Momma, he’s got 102.9.” 

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I put him back in his crib for further examination by medical staff.  We administered Tylenol.  The fever came down to around 100, but Conner was still upset.  We administered Chloral to calm him down. 

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My immediate thoughts were that the Salmonella had entered his blood.  Conner had been fever-free for two full days prior to this, then to spike a fever of 102.9 pointed me to believe that was the case.  The IMC doctor consulted with Infectious Disease, as well as Gastroenterology, and all agreed that Conner should be treated with IV antibiotics until they get send off a new blood culture to test for bacteria.  (The first blood culture that was sent Wednesday was negative for bacteria.)  The PICC team came in to draw blood and IV antibiotics were started in the evening.  (They hadn’t originally chosen to treat Conner’s digestive Salmonella poisoning with antibiotics because it can make things worse instead of better.)

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Then Conner had another episode of what looks like shock, but we now think it’s his body’s atypical way of spiking a fever.  This time his heart rate shot above 200 (with Chloral (sedative) in his system), which is obviously not good.  Shaking/trembling all over, mottled skin, purple hands and feet, heart rate above 200, cold extremities, crying inconsolably, writhing in pain.

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Absolutely heartbreaking.

 

This morning the lab confirmed that Conner has Salmonella in his bloodstream, otherwise known as “Salmonellosis Bacteremia”, which can be a life-threatening condition.  The bacteria in the blood can attack organs, and often times the heart is one of the first organs it attacks.  Conner is a sick, sick boy.

 

Due to his low blood pressures overnight and the possible need for a PICC and/or arterial line, Conner was transferred to back to the PICU.

 

Please pray against the bacteria in Conner’s blood and body, bind it up in Jesus’ mighty name, and cast it out now and forever!!!  I’m believing in the healing of our Jehovah Rapha.  I’d also really like to identify the source of the Salmonella, so pray for wisdom and insight.  Infectious Disease doc is supposed to visit with me sometime today.  I’m wondering if Conner could be a carrier of Salmonella (that he would have gotten in Ukraine), then the immunizations stressed his system and allowed the Salmonella to take over his body and blood.  Just my theory.  No one else out of the 12 people living in our home is ill with this, so the likelihood that Conner picked this up at our home is just not very likely.  (And Conner hasn’t gone anywhere that we haven’t gone either, nor has he eaten anything we haven’t eaten, plus his main nutrition is Boost Kid Essentials nutrition drink.)

 

Thanks so much for praying!!!!!!!

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