May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Heart Disease ANEMIA to ENDOCARDITIS to HEPATITS to DIC ??
ANEMIA to ENDOCARDITIS to HEPATITS to DIC ?? |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: I have a friend who had complaints of shortness of breath, palpitations and weakness. He was initially diagnosed with anemia last May 2010. He had received blood transfusions. His condition did not improve. He was diagnosed with a kidney problem and was placed in steroids. He was confined in a hospital and was diagnosed again with endocarditis, fungal meningitis and pneumonia. Now he has hepatitis and DIC. He had received transfusions (platelets, plasma, etc) but his condition still stays the same. What went wrong along the way? What might be the reason for the development of Hepatitis and DIC at the end of the line? What is his prognosis? How can this be managed? What treatments could possibly save his life? Dear Francis: I realize how worried you are about your friend’s health condition. Let me tell you that in my opinion it appears like your friend might have had an immunosuppressive disease or a state probably produced by the steroid treatment. That could have increased the chances of getting endocarditis, meningitis and pneumonia. Unfortunately DIC is commonly produced by a severe infection, since he had 4 including hepatitis, there are numerous risk factors found. Hepatitis might have been there for a long time or recently acquired by the blood transfusions, however this is not so common now. I am sorry but I can’t tell you about his prognosis with accuracy due to the lack of information about him but I could tell you that he is not going to recover soon and careful management is needed, especially with the DIC and the only way to do this is by treating his other infections that might be the underlying causes and also transfusions with platelets and clotting factors are certainly needed. I wish him a prompt recovery. |
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| Last Updated ( Thursday, 28 October 2010 ) |
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