>>If the blood counts look the least little bit off...
>
>Linda, but this baby's tests all were clear. Do you still give the
>broad-spectrum abx?
-- Fever in a 6 wk old *is* serious - in hindsight I probably came off too
flip in my initial response. And the thing is, if the tests are all clear
but the baby still has that fever, you've got the dilemma that the fever
came from *somewhere* - the kid is not well. Clear tests mean that
whatever is affecting the child isn't detectable but the baby is still sick.
>And one of the main questions is about the doc's assertion that an
>intramuscular abx will not affect the GI tract. I would think that if it
>doesn't get into the blood stream, but "stays in the muscles" (?) then is
>would be of little value. And if it does, in fact, get into the blood
>stream, the GI tract, which is *rather* connected to the blood system,
>would be affected also.
-- See, this is what gets me - Linda gave a good rationale for why you'd
go ahead and treat a 6 wk old with a fever and why the concern about
infection outweighed the concern about yeast. *IF* the mother was really
told that only oral antibiotics cause yeast problems - and we all should
remember that what is quoted to us is not necessarily what was said -
well..... IF s/he said that, I hope that ER doc doesn't actually *believe*
it.
>I am not guessing whether or not this baby needed abx, but why do the
>testing if you're going to give the abx anyway.
-- If at some point in the testing, they *had* found something, the
subsequent treatment could have been altered. A different antibiotic, for
example, maybe one with a narrower spectrum.
-- I truly don't find a problem with the treatment plan (IMHO, 'cause I
know I'm not qualified to make a judgment), only the explanation which to
me shows very little respect for the mother's concerns and intelligence.
Working on my tact... how am I doing? :-)
Mary Renard
Vienna Virginia USA
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