Compared to the same period in 2022, the number of hand, foot and mouth disease cases has increased. According to the Ministry of Health, most cases are mild. However, in some cases, the disease can progress severely and cause dangerous complications such as encephalitis-meningitis, myocarditis, acute pulmonary edema leading to death, so it needs to be detected early and treated promptly.

Recently, doctors at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Duc Giang General Hospital (Hanoi) successfully treated a patient with severe respiratory failure due to complications of hand, foot and mouth disease. The patient, PMN (born in 2022, residing in Dang Xa, Gia Lam, Hanoi), was hospitalized with pneumonia and respiratory failure, accompanied by atypical symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease.

Doctor examines a child with hand, foot and mouth disease at Duc Giang General Hospital (Hanoi). Photo: TRAN ANH

After one day of treatment, the patient showed signs of worsening hand, foot and mouth disease: rapid pulse of 200 beats/minute, continuous high fever that did not respond to antipyretics, progressive respiratory failure, increased blood pressure. The patient was put on a ventilator to support breathing and treated according to the protocol for grade 3 hand, foot and mouth disease, using cardiovascular support drugs, blood pressure lowering drugs... After 6 days of active treatment, the patient had the endotracheal tube removed, 4 days later, the patient recovered.

Dr. Hoang Van Ket, Head of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (Duc Giang General Hospital) shared: “This is a case of hand, foot and mouth disease with atypical symptoms, rapid and severe progression. In addition to treatment with conventional methods, it is also necessary to use special drugs such as IVIG, Milrinone,... combined with the use of respiratory support machines, continuous arterial control, and heart rate control. With these acute viral infections, the transition can progress very quickly, causing life-threatening complications.

Therefore, parents need to pay close attention to the signs of the disease." Doctor Hoang Van Ket also noted that children with hand, foot and mouth disease can change the severity at any time. Therefore, the doctor recommends that parents should not be subjective when seeing their children showing symptoms such as blisters, vesicles in the oral mucosa, on the feet, hands, buttocks, knees...; need to take the child to the doctor to determine the disease and have an appropriate treatment regimen.

Even if the child has been examined and diagnosed with mild hand, foot and mouth disease and prescribed outpatient treatment, parents still need to monitor closely. When there are any signs of progression such as persistent high fever that does not respond to antipyretics, crying for no reason, vomiting a lot, being startled a lot, trembling/weak limbs, etc., or other unusual signs, parents need to take the child to a medical facility for re-examination for timely treatment, avoiding unfortunate complications that can lead to permanent neurological and cardiovascular sequelae, or even death.

Currently, there is no specific vaccine to prevent hand, foot and mouth disease. Therefore, infection prevention is very important: Minimize contact between infected children and other children; wash hands regularly when caring for children; clean toys and shared utensils. Pay attention to child care, ensure adequate hygiene and nutrition, improve physical condition so that children have good immunity, helping to limit the risk of contracting and being infected with infectious diseases.

HA VU

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