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jlf1961 -> Warning to parents.... (11/7/2013 6:38:17 PM)
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I am paranoid when it comes to bug bites and children, with good reason, we have numerous insects in this region that can be harmful to adults and down right deadly to children.
Halloween my 21 month old nephew got bit by what was apparently a spider while he was at a children's party for Halloween before going trick or treating.
To his mother and grandmother, it appeared to be nothing more than a mosquito bite. Friday evening it started to get red in color and began to look like a boil.
Saturday, we called the on call doctor for his pediatrician who told us to bring him in on Monday. Sunday he started running a fever, and because of insurance requirements, we called the on call doctor to see if we should take him to ER, again told we should bring him in first thing monday morning.
Monday his pediatrician put him on antibiotics, got him an appointment with the wound care clinic at the hospital for the next day. The wound care clinic said it looked to small for them to do anything and scheduled him an appointment for Friday for a follow up.
This morning we took him back to his pediatrician, who after a five minute exam said that he was having him admitted.
It is now the consensus of all the doctors involved that it was a spider bite, that it took longer to develop because Damian is one healthy little critter, and the fact that he was not crying in pain because his pull ups were pressing on the bite when he walked, which the doctors accredited to the fact he is one tough little kid.
Tomorrow they are going to open the abscess and clean it out, and directly apply antibiotics to the area. Right now he is on IV antibiotics and a pain killer.
Usually I examine his bug bites but this time he absolutely refused to let me near it. He tolerated his mom and grandmother putting ointment on it, but barely.
We have no problem with him crying when he hurts himself, or is not feeling well. This time he would whimper, go to mommy or nana sit and cuddle with them a bit, then go about his business.
Part of me admires him for being a tough little guy, but part of me wishes he would fuss more, if not cry to the point of rupturing eardrums when he is hurting.
His mother and grandmother are the same way, very high tolerance for pain. For example, my sister has been saying her feet hurt, but "not bad enough to keep me from doing what needs to be done." X rays showed she has bone spurs on her heals, and may need to have them treated with surgery, after she finally decided to see her doctor when her feet would not stop hurting, a period of 4 months between first complaint and deciding to see a doctor.
Her mother is just as bad. She got burned at work and finished her shift and came home. The next morning she informed us she had a "little" grease burn, 6 inches long, three wide and close to third degree. I hauled her to the ER kicking and screaming where she was told it should have been treated when she got it.
I know he did not get his pain tolerance from me, 1) I am his father, and 2) When I hurt I get it checked out.... so what if I walked on, and played two football games on a broken ankle in high school.
My warning, is check every bug bite that your child claims is an owie, and dont take chances. If it looks like it is becoming infected, haul the kid to the ER even if his doctor says not to.
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