Patient's question:
The child is 3 and a half years old. They have been doing well recently, but had a cold about a month ago and have been taking medication ever since. Although the cold symptoms have subsided, the cough hasn’t completely gone away. Sometimes at night, they wake up and cough for several minutes in a row. Lately, their condition has been good, with occasional coughing.Last night, before taking a nap, the child said they felt a bit cold. At the time, it wasn’t noticed. Later in the night, it was suddenly felt that their body was very hot. A temperature check revealed 39 degrees Celsius, so they were given ibuprofen. By 4 a.m., the temperature had dropped to 38 degrees. In the morning, they only drank a little porridge, but then vomited everything up. By 10 a.m., the temperature had risen to 39 degrees again. A blood test was conducted at the hospital, showing a white blood cell count of over 40,000. The doctor recommended hospitalization. Currently, they are receiving an IV drip at the hospital and will undergo an abdominal ultrasound and chest X-ray soon. The cause of the infection has not yet been confirmed. Could this be leukemia or sepsis?
Doctor's answer:
According to your test results, there is a possibility of infection. However, it should not be leukemia at the moment. As for sepsis, it is currently difficult to confirm the diagnosis. But severe infection is certain. It is recommended to cooperate with the doctor for a thorough examination to identify the specific cause and location of the infection. Blood culture and drug sensitivity tests can be conducted, and effective antibiotics can be selected based on the results to carry out comprehensive and systematic treatment.