Excerpted from "A Year of Health Hints"
365 Practical Ways to Feel Better and Live Longer
Parents need a fair amount of medical know--how to care for a sick child-how to act quickly in case of accidental poisoning,
how to stop a nosebleed, and how to bring down a high fever. And they need to know about Reye's (pronounced "rise")
syndrome, a serious and sometimes deadly condition affecting the brain and the liver.
Although no one knows exactly what causes Reye's syndrome, it follows an easily recognized pattern. First, the liver enlarges,
due to a buildup of excess fat, and loses its ability to properly metabolize body substances. This in turn causes the brain to
swell, and the pressure of the fluid around the brain increases.
Reye's syndrome usually occurs after an upper respiratory tract infection like the flu or chicken pox in children anywhere from
infancy to age 19. The child appears to be recovering from the flu or the chicken pox when these new Reye's syndrome
symptoms may develop.
Persistent vomiting
Confusion or sense of disorientation
Personality changes (such as irritability or extreme aggressiveness)
Extreme fatigue or lethargy
Seizures
Coma and sometimes death
If you suspect a child has Reye's syndrome, get emergency medical help immediately. Treatment focuses on reducing brain
swelling.
One thing doctors do know about Reye's syndrome is that it seems to be associated with the use of aspirin in those children
with the flu or chicken pox. So doctors strongly recommend against giving aspirin to anyone younger than 19 years old during
an episode of chicken pox or influenza. Acetaminophen should be substituted, or give no drugs at all.