Health Care Tips - Reye's syndrome Symptoms, Treatment, causes

What is Reye's syndrome?

Reye's syndrome is a very rare disorder that damages many parts of the body, especially the brain and the liver. For unknown reasons, the parts of the cells that make energy (mitochondria) stop working correctly, causing severe illness. The most serious problems are swelling of the brain and problems with the breakdown of fat, which causes it to build up in the liver and other organs. The illness can be fatal, especially if not detected early and treated appropriately.

Although Reye's syndrome can occur at any age, it most often affects children between the ages of 3 and 12.

Reye's syndrome typically occurs several days after recovering from a viral infection, such as the flu, common cold or chickenpox. It also can develop while the child is still sick; a few days after the viral illness began. While the exact cause of Reye's syndrome is not known, researchers believe that it sometimes is caused by an abnormal response to aspirin or related products taken during a viral illness. For this reason, never give aspirin to children with fever or a flu-like illness.

Reye's syndrome Symptoms :-

Frequent vomiting (every couple of hours over a day or two) that does not stop even when not eating or drinking

(1) Extreme sleepiness (lethargy)

(2) Confusion

(3) Irritability and combativeness

(4) Rapid breathing (hyperventilation)

(5) Loss of Consciousness

(6) Seizures



In infants, the symptoms of Reye's syndrome may not follow this typical pattern. For example, infants with Reye's syndrome do not always vomit.



Reye's syndrome Prevention :-



Although a clear link between aspirin and Reye's syndrome has not yet been proven, experts agree that to prevent Reye's syndrome, the safest approach is never to give aspirin or aspirin-containing medicines to children. Read labels carefully. Look for the word aspirin and other words that also mean aspirin: acetylsalicylate, acetylsalicylic acid, salicylic acid and salicylate. When necessary, non-aspirin medicines, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), should be used instead.



Reye's syndrome Treatment :-



Treatment depends on the symptoms, but all patients with Reye's syndrome need to be treated in a hospital and monitored closely. Treatment focuses on protecting the brain against irreversible damage by preventing or reducing brain swelling.

Specific treatments may include:

Giving fluids containing sugar and salts intravenously (into a vein)

Medications (for example, to decrease brain swelling or treat problems caused by liver failure)

Intubation (inserting a tube that helps with breathing) to protect the lungs and also reduce brain swelling



Patients with more serious disease typically are treated in an intensive care unit.