I got a call from a dear friend in Oaxaca tonight. I'm her sons Godmother. Anyway the child has been sick for about a month - it started around Dec 1. He has something wrong with his throat (I think), and it is called "estafilococo", or something like that.

He is being treated by a doctor with injections of something. I googled it and couldn't figure out what it was - one said something like toxic hepatitis, and the other said staph infection.

My friend asked me if the boy should be getting better by now. She is wondering if she should see a different doctor. Keep in mind that in this part of Mexico, people die of TB, women do their own C-sections, etc.

Thanks to anyone who know what this is.

Maybe one of these. First ignore "esta" which means "it is" or "this is". then "filococco" which could be "phylococcal" as in:

not likely this,

Staphylococcal = skin infection usually treated by Semi synthetic Penicillan family Methicillan, Nafcillan, or Cephalosporins or cefazolin

Vancomycin if allergic to cillan family.

More likely this.

Streptococcal pharyngitis = strepthroat. usually lasts about a week though but can go into severe complications if not treated. Treatment is with antibiotics Penicillin or Erythromycin families.

Not a doctor but found this information in the Nursing Reference Library book called 'Diseases'

No - It is the FIRST one. I could read some of those words in Spanish - especially the meds.

So what is it? Does it usually last a month?

remember I'm not a doctor so take this FWIW:

If it is the first one it could be very serious and they probably need to get him to a hospital ASAP.

It is likely a staff infection called Bacteremia
possibly from one of these.

Infected wound, or an Abscess.

If this is the case
He probably needs to be in a hospital on an I.V. giving the medication around the clock. Very difficult to control under home conditions especially if cleanliness has not been a priority. Oral treatments or not nearly as effective as an I.V. would be.

Penicillin or cillin family would be first line of defense. mycin family second and takes longer to be effective.

remember where I got this information. Nurses Reference book "Diseases"

hey B I just saw this, I have something here that was given to us on our return ....wait I'm slow at typing

well its all I have on it. I found the e copy. Ok I didn't but one of the WO1's did, she a whiz at the pc.

Staphylococcal infections
Staphylococcus aureus (commonly referred to as 'staph') is a bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. It generally causes no problems or illness however, if the bacteria enters the body via a wound or graze, it may multiply and cause an infection.
Skin/wound infections: Staph is one of the most common causes of skin infections and can cause serious wound infections.
Antibiotic resistance: Since the 1950's, some Staph has built up resistance to antibiotics. Staph resistant to the antibiotic Methicillin is called Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). People in the community often refer to MRSA as 'Golden Staph' as the pus is yellow!
A Staph or MRSA infection normally only develops in the elderly, the very sick or those who have an open wound. It can be spread by physical contact only (i.e. you cannot catch it by just being in the same room as the infected person!) Good handwashing can therefore prevent the spread of MRSA.
Scalded Skin Syndrome: is caused by Staph aureus and is usually seen in children under the age of two. It can start with a lesion around the nose/mouth, which then quickly develops into a bright red area. When touched, the affected skin may peel off in sheets. If the child becomes seriously ill, antibiotic therapy is needed.
Other infections: Staph aureus can cause other kinds of illnesses including bone infections, impetigo (school sores) pneumonia and blood stream infections.
Signs and symptoms
• Swelling of a wound
• Failure of a wound to completely heal
• Fever
• Redness
• If a child has eczema, this may become infected with S. aureus
Treatment
• Most Staph infections are treated with antibiotics.
• There are still some antibiotics that can successfully treat MRSA infections.
• Recovery time will depend on the general health of the person. If the child has a poor immune system then a Staph infection can be quite serious.
• Contact with a wound should be avoided and the wound may need to be covered with a dressing.
• Good hygiene is essential. Hands need to be washed with soap and water.
Key points to remember
• Staphylococcus is common. It is found on the skin and in the nose of 30-50% of people without causing disease.
• Staphylococcus will only cause an infection when it can enter via a wound/ tube.
• Healthy people rarely become infected.
• Staphylococcus can cause several different types of infections: skin/wound, gastrointestinal, pneumonia and blood stream infections.
• Thoroughly washing your hands & avoiding skin-to-skin contact can prevent staphylococcus infections.
When to come back
Service personnel returning from especially infectious regions esp. Afghanistan, Iraq, are advised to notify spouses and children. If your spouse or child is prescribed antibiotics, the full course of antibiotics should be completed. If the infection does not begin to improve over 2 days please seek medical advice immediately.

JKG -

Okay, I will call down there in the morning. I know that mom can take him to a hospital. It is just a long ways away. I was thinking that if the doctor knew the name of the "filococco", he would know the treatment.

But the thing is, young people there die all of the time from things that we have cures for.

If she is seeing a medical doctor he should have been given an appropriate treatment. If it was just some untrained local caregiver of some kind then who knows. If that's the case I think a trip to the hospital may be appropriate.

I am a medical transcriptionist. My best guess, like the others, is that they are trying to say "staphylococcus". This can be life-threatening and the best possible medical treatment is needed *immediamente*. Tell them not to delay!
Mulan

Thanks JKG. I'll tell her in the morning.

JKG. Mulan, Aussie - Thanks for all your help. I don't know why I couldn't figure it out. I called down there early this morning (4:00 here, 6:00 there), and told my friend that it could be very serious and to take her son to a hospital.

I also told her to disinfect everything in the house, and do a thorough cleaning. Her husband was going to borrow a horse and take the boy to the hospital which is 8 hours away.

So far, I haven't heard anything back. But I feel much better that I did something. So thanks everyone.

Gotta love this site.

Wow, that was scary. I know very little about medical things. But I know that in this area of Mexico, people die all of the time of things that are very curable here.

I have thought going back there when I retire, and helping the women with some simple things - hand washing, refrigerating their food, etc.

Hi B,
I havn't been reading lately so I've jsut seen this.
I am MD as you know although I don't specialize in clinical practice. Nevertheless, if you want my opinion, you did the right thing. Most probably the child had a throat infection which the doctor thought was staph throat but if it hasn't cured in a few days it most probably isn't. The doctor most probably couldn't perform any tests so the best thing is to have the child tested at the hospital. It may be any disease which has as one of it's symptoms a red throat. One month is far too long for a simple throat infection.

I hope it turns out OK.

Thanks. I still haven't heard anything.

We get so spoiled in this country. It is a real shock when you realize the state of medicine in other countries. I know there are good facilities in Mexico, but the availability is the problem.

Unfortunately that is true. An education, specially in Mexico.

It's been a real cultural shock. I've visited there twice, and know many people. Once in a while I'll get the news that so and so's nephew died. When I ask what happened, it goes something like this - "He wasn't feeling well last week, and wasn't holding food down. He was sleeping all the time, and was found dead in the morning."

No mention of what could have been wrong, really no speculation.

I understand. These people and manyothers around the world still have a high mortality because they DON'T KNOW that it could be prevented.