The fluid of the brain tissue returns

Large picture : A patient with meningococcal disease treated at Tropical Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Small picture : A characteristic sign of the disease is a blood-formation of a map image. (Photo: BST)

Before hospitalization one day, NPT, 12 years old, residing in Ward 12, District 6 - Ho Chi Minh City suddenly became high fever, vomiting. That night, she was tired and appeared several nodules on her chest. 6 hours 15 minutes on 6-6, T. was taken to an emergency at Hospital (BV) Children 1 in shock, cardiovascular, cold limbs, rash (blood) in the chest. Doctors diagnose patients with sepsis and active treatment. However, due to severe illness, progressing too fast (around 12 noon, the blood spread throughout the body), it was 14 hours on the same day T. died. Test results show that pathogens are meningococcus.

Many can range from mild to severe

According to the statistics of Ho Chi Minh City Preventive Medicine Center, from the beginning of the year until now, there have been 9 cases of brain tissue-induced disease requiring hospitalization, including 4 deaths (2 adults and 2 children). Compared to recent years, this year, the number of patients suffering from hospitalized brain tissue is much higher. Cause according to Dr. Nguyen Dac Tho, Deputy Director of Preventive Medicine Center TP, is an infectious disease that usually has a cycle of 5 - 7 years and this year may be the cycle of the raging brain tissue.

According to Dr. Truong Huu Khanh, Head of the Infection Department of Children's Hospital 1, meningococcal disease has existed for a long time but in recent years is very rare. The disease is caused by brain tissue with many different types such as A, B, C, W, Y . cause. When infected with this bacterium, patients can present clinical manifestations from mild to severe. The infected person may manifest as sore throat, meningitis, sepsis and the most severe is sepsis. Cases of pharyngitis are usually the same as other common sore throats, only manifesting sore throat, cough, fever and then resolving or recovering from illness after taking antibiotics. More severe, bacteria from the throat attack the brain causing meningitis. At this time, patients will have symptoms of headache, vomiting, high fever, stiff neck, seizures, coma. There are cases accompanied by dark purpura in the skin.

80% of deaths in the body

According to experts, the most dangerous in meningococcal infection is that the bacteria from the throat can enter the blood causing sepsis. In this form, the disease is divided into two types, which are acute sepsis and sepsis . Symptoms of acute sepsis are usually prolonged after a high fever for 1 to 2 days and appear scattered blood throughout the body. As for sepsis, there will be symptoms of high fever, vomiting, lethargy, purpleness within 12 hours, the rash spreads very fast, within 6 hours it has spread throughout the body. Bacteria can cause necrosis of the toes and fingers leading to a loss of fingers or can cause necrosis of the skin areas (later to be removed for scarring). These cases often have a mortality rate of 80%.

The disease spreads quickly

Dr. Khanh said, meningococcal bacteria spread rapidly through the respiratory tract, especially in densely populated areas, unsanitary environments. Recently, there have been vaccines in the world for 4 types of bacteria A, C, W, Y. In Vietnam, there are currently only 2 types of vaccines A and C. Therefore, effective prevention methods especially the oral hygiene and environmental hygiene. When suffering from sore throat, need to seek treatment immediately so that bacteria do not attack to other parts. Patients with patients, those who have contact with patients should be given ciprofloxacin to prevent disease (provided by the Preventive Medical Center).

Has appeared outbreak!

Dr. Nguyen Dac Tho, Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Preventive Health Center, said that in the city there have been some small brain tissue epidemics.When detecting severe cases in the community (it is difficult to detect mild cases of symptoms such as common sore throat), the Preventive Health Center will treat the environment to prevent spread and develop into cases. ill.The best way to prevent people is to increase personal and environmental hygiene and avoid contact with disease sources.Through investigation of cases of meningococcal disease, most patients have crowded and crowded living conditions.Specifically, three weeks ago, the Tropical Diseases Hospital received a 16-year-old female patient, worked in District 5-Ho Chi Minh City, infected with septic encephalitis.The patient said he lived in a room about 25 m ² in size with . 20 people!

Thuy Duong