How do I know if my son has psuedomonas?

[proudmom2lilCFer]

My 9 month old son has been coughing a lot lately. For the last 2 days he coughs to the point of throwing up. It takes him hours to fall asleep at night, because he just lays there and coughs and pukes. We have a clinic appoitment on Thursday. Does this sounds like he may have the psuedomonas? I don't really know what they are. How do the doctors know? Should I try to get him seen before then, or do you think it would be ok to wait until Thursday being that today is Tuesday?

 

[wallflower]

Try to get him in sooner if possible. If they can't squeeze him in, they may be able to give you something to help him out in the meantime.

 

[Mockingbird]

The doctors will do a sputum culture (The thing where he spits in a cup =-) Psudemonis and their ilk are bacterias, so that's really the only way to tell. Coughing like that usually indicates some kind of an infection, but not necessarily, and I'm pretty sure all of us have had coughing spells like that from time to time. It's not going to hurt anything to get him into the doctor earlier, especially since I'm sure he's absolutely miserable having to cough that much. Poor guy. <img src="i/expressions/brokenheart.gif" border="0">

 

[proudmom2lilCFer]

I just talked to the nurse at the clinic, she said that she will let the Dr know and they will call us back. The only thing with our CF clinic is, is that they only do CF on Thursdays and they are 200 miles away. But, we'll see. How do they do a sputum culture on a 9 month old. I seriously doubt that he can or will spit in a cup.

 

[NoDayButToday]

In younger kids, throat cultures are done instead of the patient spitting out sputum on their own.

 

[anonymous]

hi Jennifer,

Sorry to hear about your son's symptoms, but my advice is to get some treatment as soon as possible. My daughter had a terrible cough and vomiting like that a few months ago and it resulted in her aspirating food into her lungs.

Could your son be suffering from acid reflux? My daughter also begins coughing and vomiting when she is "stopped up" - meaning her stool is getting backed up in her intestinal tract.

If his throat culture result comes back "normal flora," hopefully they'll investigate possible reflux.

Hope he is better soon,

Maria (mother of three daughters, the youngest Samantha w/cf)

 

[anonymous]

You didn't mention congestion. Does he have a cold? Have they done a throat culture on your son before? He should be getting one every three months at clinic. That seems to be the standard now. My children throw up as well when they get bad coughs/cold. Hopefully he will feel better soon.
Sharon, mom of Sophia, 4 and Jack, 2 both with cf

 

[proudmom2lilCFer]

My son has been getting throat cultures just about every time that we go to the clinic. Partly because strep throat has been floating around our family. Luckily neither one of my kids have gotten it. He isn't congested at all. In fact, during the day, he is pretty much his normal self, only just a little bit crankier. I talked to the RN at the CF clinic. They are going to put him on Cephalexin again and start a steriod, but I can't recall the name. We will see them on Thursday. I don't think he is plugged up. He takes miralax once a day. He also takes prevacid for reflux. But I have noticed, that for the last week or so, he throws up every morning. Sometimes a lot, sometime a little. This started before the bad coughing spells at night. I tried elevating the head of his bed, but that hasn't change anything yet. Poor little guy, he just keeps on keeping on. He just has no clue what is going on. It really makes you stop and think.

 

[proudmom2lilCFer]

Well, we got the results back today that my son does have psuedomonas. So what does this mean? Will he be hospitalized? He has had a fever of 102* since 8pm last night. I am waiting to hear back from his doctor.

 

[anonymous]

Many people with CF have bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, colonizing (living in) their lungs permanently. This is not unusual. Just almost everyone has bacteria (Staph aureus & Staph epi) living on their skin. However, most healthy people do not have bacteria in the lungs.

Pseudomonas is just a type of bacteria that your son has acquired in his lungs. Unfortunately, Psuedomonas (like any other bacteria colonizing the respiratory tract) can cause inflammation in the lungs & sometimes outright pneumonia. Other times, your son will be asymptomatic. Pseudomonas in the lungs is an extremely common finding in patients with CF, as is other bacteria.

The problem lies in that when the Pseudomonas becomes strong, then it can cause infection (pneumonia) versus colonization (livining in the lungs). Hospitalization will depend on the treating pediatrician - whether or not they think this the Pseudomonas has become strong (causing infection/pneumonia or a CF flare or exacerbation) or a colonization (relatively normal in patients with CF). To be honest, with an increase in cough & the onset of a fever, it sounds as if there might be an infection, which needs to be treated.

The major concern with Pseudomonas is that it can become resistant (not work well) against many antibiotics that are available. The doctor will almost always use two antibiotics to help cure the infection. I hope this helps!

~Larissa~

 

[proudmom2lilCFer]

They have given him a perscription for cipro (sp?) and tobi. I won't be able to get either one until tomorrow, but I do not have the correct attachment for the tobi on the nebulizer. That probably won't be here until Thursday. He still has a fever and I beginning to get really worried. The RN at the CF clinic said that she didn't think he needs a chest xray. His home health nurse is coming in the morning. I am going to get her opinion on it. What worries me the most is that he just isn't himself. He is usually so happy and playing, and today he just lays there and stares at me. I am starting to freak out.

 

[Mockingbird]

Coughing so much really takes the energy out of youI'm sure that is where the change is coming from.

 

[anonymous]

Jennifer,

I know you are far away from your CF clinic, but could you take your son in for a chest x-ray at a local hospital? With the fever and coughing, pneumonia should be ruled out. Is he retracting a lot? Can you see his rib cage sucking in and out with each breath? Maybe the home health nurse will be able to tell by listening to him with a stethoscope.

He is so young, if you don't feel comfortable with his condition, call the clinic and see what they can do.

Take care,

Maria (mother of three daughters, the youngest, Samantha w/cf)

 

[rose4cale]

I agree with Maria. If you feel something's not right, have it checked out. My son has become lathargic (sp) when he was really ill. He laid on me for 2 days when he was just over a year. It is scarey to see them like that. He's probably not resting comfortably and is very tired. Hope he feels better soon!

 

[bubblesarefun2009]

I have Pseudomonas and I had it under control till I had my pic line that came out and i couldnt get my new port till about a month latter and restart my cipro and It got to the point i thought i was going to die. Well was admited to the hosptial. and they drew blood and they had to control my heart rate becuase it was pushing 190 kida scary. so after everything they decided maybe i had an infection in my stomah or somthing they noticed they coudlnt find my gallbladder. Well they did a hig dence scan and found it. the dr looked at me and said I will see you in the or. I said why he siad your gallbladder is swollen and its got 4 stones in it and 6-8 on the out of it. So I was rushed to or. came out I had lost lots of blood they had to give me 4 units of blood. just to stable my blood prsure and stuff. they had to restart my heart. when I woke up the nurse said I am sorry for my lauange but you scared the He** out of us. I was like why and she told me. I was like srry. i got to come home after 2weeks in there. I was doing fine but started to have panic attacks boy wasent that bad. so got up the next morning i wasent feeling to hot. Heart felt like it was going out of my chest. Went to er and they put me on the thing that tells your heart rate. it was 198. She was like its a supprise that you are not passed out of dead. I just sat there. so finaly i was admited agian this time for 3weeks find out that my Pseudomonas had spreaded to my blood. the drs have me on iv cipro and tpn. Nuterients by iv. its working ok. But when i got my hosptial bill it was 90,245.99 thank goodness medicaid paid 84 grand on it. But its getting hard for medicaid to pay for anything. I just thought i would share my story. I cough at night a lot to wear i puke to . and i use to take tussinex for it. but medicaid wontpay for cough suryp for cf adults. talk to your dr about seing if he can give you some for him or some kind of cough suryp. I take some at night before i lay down to sleep and codine pills. it helps all night long.. just a idea!

please excuse my mis types.