Almost lost his life due to infection from a tick bite

Posted on 04 Month 07 2023

A 52-year-old male patient, fever for 7 days, accompanied by many chills but did not examine, then was hospitalized for emergency because of shortness of breath.

The patient was taken to Military Hospital 108 with a fever, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, low blood pressure, and chest pain. Before coming to the hospital, the patient had a fever lasting 7 days, accompanied by many chills, a 2 cm black scaly ulcer on the right thigh, exuding fluid.

Test results showed that the patient was positive for Rickettsia - the bacteria that causes tick fever, the medium of transmission is the larvae of ticks. After a week of intensive treatment, the man had no fever, was breathing well on his own, and his blood pressure was stable.

On July 3, Dr. BS Nguyen Dang Manh, Director of the Institute of Infectious Diseases, said this is one of many cases where patients subjectively did not go to medical facilities for timely examination, leading to complications and dangers. live.

"Sick fever is caused by a bacterium called Orientalis tsutsugamushi, belonging to the Rickettsia family. If not detected in time, with the right treatment, fever can lead to dangerous complications, which can cause myocarditis, multi-organ failure, even death," said Doctor Manh.

The tick bite. Photo: Provided by the hospital

The doctor recommends if the fever is sudden, prolonged, accompanied by chills, headache, body aches; Congestive skin, conjunctival conjunctivitis... need to go to the doctor right away. Characteristic signs of scarlet fever sores are oval, 0.5 to 2 cm in size, with black or scaly scales, forming rimmed sores, pink bottom, no discharge or little oozing. , usually painless, non-itchy, localized in soft skin areas such as armpits, chest, neck.

Other signs such as skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, liver, spleen enlargement, some cases may have jaundice. In addition, patients often have symptoms of cough, shortness of breath, acute respiratory failure leading to death.

To prevent disease, people should regularly clear bushes, kill outbreaks, apply insecticides, maintain house hygiene, and wash clothes after one use.

* SOURCE: https://vnexpress.net/suyt-mat-mang-do-nhiem-khuan-tu-vet-mo-can-4624717.html

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