Children can get sepsis from mosquito bites.
(Baonghean.vn) - Recently, the Emergency Department of Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital received a 25-month-old child, LHK, residing in Le Mao ward, Vinh city, in serious condition suspected of having Staphylococcus aureus infection through the skin caused by a mosquito bite.
According to the family, six days before hospitalization, the child was bitten by a mosquito on the right elbow. The child scratched until the skin was raw, and the family bandaged it. Afterwards, the child developed intermittent high fever, the mosquito bite area became swollen and inflamed, itchy, hot, and red, with a red rash on the face, vomiting, and extreme fatigue.
At the Emergency Department, after clinical examination, the doctors quickly determined that this was a suspected case of sepsis with the entry point being cellulitis in the right elbow.
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Children can develop sepsis from mosquito bites. Photo: Hoang Yen |
Dr. Tran Van Cuong, Resident Physician - Deputy Director of the Hospital, Head of the Emergency Department -Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics HospitalIt is known that: Common skin infections caused by staphylococci, especially Staphylococcus aureus, can easily lead to septicemia through skin lesions, cuts, or other wounds.
Bacteria release toxins that are harmful to the body, leading to abscesses in many organs such as the lungs (necrotizing pneumonia, pleural empyema), heart (pericarditis, endocarditis), bones and joints (muscle abscess, bone abscess causing osteonecrosis), blood clotting disorders, multiple organ failure, and rapid death.
Sepsis can occur at any age. Immunocompromised children, infants, and young children are at high risk, with the disease progressing rapidly. Staphylococcal sepsis in children is considered one of the dangerous and potentially life-threatening diseases, leaving many serious sequelae.
Therefore, to prevent infection, parents need to keep their children's bodies clean, dress them in loose clothing, and avoid sweating, as this creates favorable conditions for staphylococcus bacteria to grow and cause disease. When children have pimples or boils, parents should not attempt to lance, squeeze, or apply ointments or herbal remedies, as this can easily cause widespread inflammation and ulceration, leading to blood infections. Cuts and scratches on the skin must always be kept clean until they heal.
If the child has a fever or the affected skin area is very swollen, hot, and red, they should be taken to a medical facility as soon as possible.medicalTo receive timely examination and treatment, absolutely do not self-medicate with antibiotics, as staphylococcal bacteria require treatment with specific antibiotics.