Infection ? - can you help ?

[rynosmum]

Today started like any other day for DS, all fun and giggles. At about 10:30, I took his shoes off so he could have a nap - DH also took his socks off - which I thought at the time was odd because I generally leave his little socks on for most of the day.

I tickled his feet and all was good. He went off to sleep. At 12:30, DS woke up and we noticed him limping slighty. When we had a closer look, he had a huge dark purple blood bruise right across the back and side of his right foot with red spots and dots heading across the front the top of his foot and up his leg. We couldn't get him into a Dr so took him to the Hospital. They had never seen anything like it - ruled out trauma (as it was so severe, he would have been in massive pain), ruled out a foreign body or abcess through an ultrasound and sent us home with high strength antibiotics.

It is still majorly swelled, part of the skin has blistered and burst, the purple remains major. I thought it could be an insect bite, the hospital didn't agree. He has no temp and is playing happily.

Does anyone have any ideas ? It's freaking me out and of course, I'll be checking on him all night but it's so traumatic when your little one is unwell and you can't help him. :(

Any help greatly appreciated !

[Kamaikia]

Is it possible he was bitten by a spider or something when he was asleep. I would check his cot just to make sure before putting him in bed tonight. If you are in doubt at all don't hesitate to take him to hospital again. Better to be safe than sorry. Sorry I can't help it sounds really strange. Hope it heals soon.

[nemosmum]

Oh Katrina how very scary for poor little Ryan and of course for you and DH :(

I dont have any idea what it could be so all I can say is I hope he gets better soon. Wishing you all a peaceful night sleep :)

Sarah

PS Orlando sends Ryan a big hug and says get better soon mate :D

[sarah81]

Hi,

I don't have any experience with an infection/bite like that. But if it is not gone or improved I would try taking him to the GP when you an get an appointment for their opinion or for a referral to a specialist. I have found with my two children that somtimes my GP or a specialist will listen to my opinion a bit more than at the hospital. Especially if you think it is a bite rather than an infection.

Good luck I hope your little one is better soon.

Sarah 24
DP 29
DS1 March 03
DS2 May 05

[rynosmum]

Thanks girls - and cuddles back for Orlando ! :D

I've just checked on him and he's sleeping soundly still with no temp but with a big swelly, blistered foot. Hopefully the blister will bring out some of the infection ? or whatever it is.

Hmmm....Did I mention that DH is also sleeping soundly ? I think that's another thread entirely..... :mad:

[veve]

Hmmm....Did I mention that DH is also sleeping soundly ? I think that's another thread entirely..... :mad:

oh hon (hugs) men just dont get it do they??!!! I know that my DH just doesn't understand my stresses :mad: he seems so oblivious....

feel free to vent!!!!

xxxx

[nemosmum]

Katrina,

I hope Ry is better :)

Sarah and O

[xkwzit]

Hi Rynos Mum (and big hugs)

A similar thing happened to DD1, we noticed a red lump on the sole of her foot and thought it was a mozzie bite or blister. It didn't go away though, so we took her to the doc.

She had an ultra sound which showed that there was nothing there, so whatever it was had dissappeared ITMT. They thought that she had got a splinter or something that had then got infected, hence the lump. I could not recall any injury that she'd had to the foot either. So they are probably right and its an old infected wound, I think it much less likely that its an insect bite.

Hope this helps you to relax, just check that it starts going down over the next day or so. The AB should be working within 48 hours.

Cheers

[rynosmum]

Thanks Girls for all of your advice and best wishes.

We went to the GP on Sunday who had no better advice than the Dr the day before. On Sunday morning, DS broke out in a heap of spots as well - about 2 of those which have turned into little school sores, the others are threatening to.

He has been on a stack of antibiotics for the past couple of months due to an ongoing ear infection so I'm thinking that his bosy is just trying to adjust and he is run down thus all these little skin things.

That said, I still don't know what happened to his foot. The swelling has gone but the haemotoma (SP?) remains pluus an open sore where it blistered.

He is still happy and running on it though so he's not too bad.

Xkwzit - you're amazing - you always have a similar story to compare with !

Thanks again ! :D

[xkwzit]

Sometimes I feel like my kids have had EVERYTHING ... but that's not really true ... it just seems like they're ALWAYS sick (but only WHEN they're sick IYKWIM)

Cheers

[rynosmum]

Alright, now this is getting a bit much. :mad:

So the foot is healing well but we're still getting a new school sore every week but then today, his knee has swollen like a basketball - it's about half as big again as his other knee and very hot and red.

I bathe him every night in Phisohex (an antiseptic), every morning he gets antibiotic oitment on the active sores and Vitamin E Cream on the old ones to help them disappear. I cover any active sores. Everyhing seems crazily clean, so what's going on ?

I took him to yet ANOTHER Dr today who looked at Ry's knee, said 'yes a soft tissue infection', let's try yet another antibiotic (the 4th type and the 6th course over the past 4 months). No advice re the swelling - oh yeah, the antibiotics will work this time - oh and by the way - don't give him any food or milk for 3 hours before the antibiotics and for one hour after - and you need to give him 4 doses per day. Has he ever had children ?

There's got to be a better way - hasn't there ? :confused:

[JohnC]

There's got to be a better way - hasn't there ? :confused:

Just a thought but have your son and, more importantly, YOU been swabbed for strep throat ?

In cases where kids are suffering recurrent outbreaks of such sores, other members of the family may have asymptomatic infection with Group A streptococci. The result is that whenever there are any micro-abrasions on the child's skin a parent and/or sibling transmits this bug, creating another sore (usually it is the primary care giver, who is diligently doing all the cleaning, dressing, etc). It doesn't matter how often the child takes antibiotics, s/he keeps getting reinfected after each course.

Worth checking out if nothing else is working for you.

ADDED: Most doctors would not normally test from strep throat because usually a different strain of the bacteria is involved. But usually is not the same as always, and in cases of frequent recurrence it is worthwhile checking out.

[rynosmum]

Thanks for your advice John (and your PM),

I haven't been tested but will definitely do so if we get another bout. I found another Dr who seems keenly interested in Ry's recovery so will be sticking with him. Unfortunately whilst the previous Drs were good, they didn't seem to have the time or inclination to be interested in his ongoing progress.

He has just finished his oral antibiotics (2 days ago) and I have been instructed to continue the use of Bactroban oitment in his nose every second night (for a month) to address any strep that he may have. He hasn't had any outbreak since he commenced the last round of Flopen a/b although he has what appears to be an insect bite (hopefully not another sore) on his leg that I am using the Bactroban on and covering.

None of the Drs have recommended testing either of us for Strep throat although it certainly makes sense. One Dr did swab the leg but stated that the results weren't remarkable.

Thanks so much for the advice ! :D

Katrina

[JohnC]

Excellent news about doctor who cares :) , and who seems to have things under control :D . The fact he has recommended Bactroban nasally means he is on to the idea of strep throat cross-infection.

Best of luck.
J


Thanks for your advice John (and your PM),

I haven't been tested but will definitely do so if we get another bout. I found another Dr who seems keenly interested in Ry's recovery so will be sticking with him. Unfortunately whilst the previous Drs were good, they didn't seem to have the time or inclination to be interested in his ongoing progress.

He has just finished his oral antibiotics (2 days ago) and I have been instructed to continue the use of Bactroban oitment in his nose every second night (for a month) to address any strep that he may have. He hasn't had any outbreak since he commenced the last round of Flopen a/b although he has what appears to be an insect bite (hopefully not another sore) on his leg that I am using the Bactroban on and covering.

None of the Drs have recommended testing either of us for Strep throat although it certainly makes sense. One Dr did swab the leg but stated that the results weren't remarkable.

Thanks so much for the advice ! :D

Katrina