Patient's question:
On November 9, 2012, the child felt drowsy with vomiting and poor mental state. Then, he had a fever, lost consciousness, and had a seizure for about a minute. He was taken to the Children's Hospital of Baoji Maternal and Child Health Hospital, where it was diagnosed as viral encephalitis. After thirteen days of treatment, he was discharged and scheduled for a follow-up check-up one month later. Unsurprisingly, on December 27, he had another fever, lost consciousness, and had a seizure for about three minutes. He returned to the hospital again. The doctors ruled out epilepsy and performed an electroencephalogram, which was normal. A magnetic resonance imaging revealed a small amount of shadows in the brain.Doctor's answer:
Viral meningitis caused by Coxsackie or ECHO viruses is generally treated with intravenous dexamethasone (fluorometholone) to control the inflammatory response, with an adult dose of 15mg/day and a reduced dose for children. Early and appropriate use of mannitol and furosemide (Lasix) as dehydration agents can alleviate symptoms of cerebral edema. When the possibility of infection with herpes simplex virus or varicella-zoster virus cannot be ruled out, antiviral agents should be administered promptly. Patients with respiratory distress, dysphagia, or convulsions should be treated symptomatically with ventilators, enteral feeding, and medication.