A flu scenario

[dogmom4]

So what do you do if someone is so sick from the flu that they can't hold anything at all down? It comes out via vomiting or diarhea. Then their blood sugar drops and electrolytes are out of balance and they start hyperventilating which leads to involuntary muscle spasms that look like one is having a seizure. I ask this because it happened last night with dd20. She had been nauseous most of the morning then started throwing up and had diarrhea. Nothing would stay down. She finally fell asleep around 9 pm and I thought she was on the mend. Then around 11:30pm she woke up and was throwing up stomach bile and just heaving. She started hyperventilating (paper bag didn't work) and then start having these muscle spasms where here hands were clenched and her arms were flailing uncontrollably and her feet were seizing up. While we were on the phone with the advice nurse her speech started to slur and her eyes were rolling around so we called 911. We went via to the emergency room around 2:30 where they gave her fluids and an antinausea med. She finally stopped the spasms and the dry heaves around 3am. Her bloodwork showed her electrolytes were out of wack and she had a phoshate drip that took 5 hours to get into her system. After talking with her she said she had been feeling poorly for several days and hadn't been eating much plus she was on her period (which she has a hard time with) and still going to school and working. She is feeling a little better now (we are back home) and able to sleep. This is my question after going through this....what do we do for someone who is nauseous they can't even hold gatorade,meds, etc. down? This was just a 24 hour flu that hit her hard because she wasn't taking good care of herself. If the bird flu hits us I feel like I am so woefully underprepared. I was so scared last night when she was having those spasms because I have never seen anything like that before. We couldn't have dealt with that without being able to have access to an emergency room and a doctor.

Stacy

[HSmom]

How scary!! I'm glad that she is okay now.

 

Here are my thoughts:

 

If someone has diarrhea, but not vomiting, just keep them drinking and drinking - even tho it seems like it all just runs out. Some does get into the system.

 

For someone with vomiting that won't stop, there is a way to rehydrate rectally. I'll let you do a search on that.

 

I think the key for your daughter was probably catching this earlier, getting some rest and upping her fluids at that time. The longer you wait the worse it all gets.

 

Vomiting is a symptom of dehydration - and sure makes it harder to cure. Don't let dehydration get that out of hand.

[Vic303]

You have to start them (if you're doing this at home)like you do a baby. 1oz every 10-15min, and I like to use diluted Gatorade. Use smaller amts of fluid if needed to get the intake started. This of course is best started before they start having seizures...

 

Sounds like you did good though--especially the realization that it had moved beyond homecare. Hope she is recovering well.

[dogmom4]

She is doing a lot better. I have come to realize that the most important thing is prevention . She hadn't said anything about feeling bad for days before and was acting like many 20yo's...burning the candle at both ends and not taking care of herself. We have had a discussion about not eating right and doing things to boost her immune system (she is my child who was always the one to catch something first and get hit the hardest) so this doesn't happen again.

Stacy

[Vic303]

Glad she is doing better! We had a small scare of similar nature with our then-3yr old DD1. (this was about 18mo ago) She started puking Sat pm, and continued Sunday. By Sunday night she was not keeping water down, and I knew we were approaching that point of no return on the fluids, and was worried if I waited until the doc's opened Monday morning, we would be so far behind the curve on fluids that she would require a hospital stay to rehydrate (being so young & all). That was not possible, having 2 other YOUNG kidlets in the home and DH working, so I took her in at 9pm to the ER. Hated theER--was like being in the middle of a TV show! Stuck in the waiting room for 3hrs with exhausted kidlet...not fun. Then another 3hrs in treatment, to be discharged at about 03:30. Still it was worth it in the end, by avoiding a full-on stay in hospital.

 

Forgot to try one thing though with her--ice chips. Super way to slow intake of fluids, but generally slow enough not to cause vomiting.

[HSmom]

You were right to take her in Vic. One of the hardest days I had as a pediatric RN involved a kid with vomitting and diarrhea.

 

I was called to the ER, around 10am, to help start an IV because no one could get one (this is in a children's hospital). The brief history given is that she and her mom had been sick with V&D for a couple of days. The previous evening she had gone to Grandma's because her mom was too sick herself to take care of the girl. A four-year-old, BTW.

 

I walked into the room and saw a naked child the same age and gender as one I had at home (at that time). She was naked because they were trying to get into a large vein in the groin, BTW. We got into two veins and poured in fluids and eletrolytes. I went on with my other duties.

 

At noon, I heard an overhead page for a Code Blue in the ER - I thought maybe it was her, but...Nahhh... I checked in later and she had died. But not until 6pm. They thought maybe she had a perfed appendix or something and wanted to take her to the OR, but they could never get her stable enough.

 

The autopsy showed that she died of hypovolemic (low fluid volume, ie dehydration) shock. Shock KILLS. Don't ever forget it.

 

I cried so hard that night. Mostly in relief that it wasn't MY daughter. I hurt so badly for her mother.

[Vic303]

OMG HSmom! That is so sad! I can't bear the thought of losing one of my monkeys...

 

I'm glad I tend to be levelheaded when it comes to medical emergencies...it has helped me out in several serious situations.

--Vic

[goatherder]

I always keep antidiarrheal meds like Imodium on hand. Getting the diarrhea stopped is vital. For nausea and vomiting alone, small amounts of clear fluids, electrolyte solution, etc. work pretty well as do antinausea meds. Once the vomiting is under control small amounts of bland food like strained pears, crackers, oatmeal, rice are usually tolerated.

 

I would suggest that getting medical attention ASAP for diarrhea that doesn't respond to Imodium type meds right away.

[HSmom]

In contrast to goatherder, I don't typically administer an anti-diarreal right away. I give it 24 hours first. Most V&D illnesses clear up in 24 hours. And I believe the body is doing what it needs to do to clear out the offending organism (bug). Most people have enough reserve to tolerate 24 hours. But if it continues beyond that, yes I would medicate.

 

On that same note, I only treat a fever (with tylenol or ibuprofen) IF the person is too sick to drink adequate fluids. Otherwise I let the fever do it's work of killing the infection.

 

Additionally, I would have to say that I regard vomiting more seriously than diarrhea. Studies in 3rd world countries (where lots of people get diarrhea - frequently) have shown that diarrhea can be managed with LOTS of oral fluids. A pedialyte-type substances is MUCH better than water. You can do a search to find a recipe for homemade pedialyte. It's water, salt and sugar, but the proportions are important, so don't improvise.

 

OTOH, with vomitting, your options are limited, and I would seek care sooner.

[MommyofSeven]

These are some great posts, and I really appreciate the info being shared.

 

We recently had to take DD14 to ER for being sick like that. Holiday weekend, and she was beyond the 24 hours that those stomach bugs usually last around here. Fortunately, it wasn't serious, but having them rehydrate her made me feel a LOT better that she would get better, which she did, fairly quickly after that, but it left her really weak so she still lost 3 or 4 days of school that week.

 

Mo7

[Vic303]

Don't forget the BRAT diet for diarrhea.

Bananas

Rice

Applesauce

Toast