11 year old Salman was complaining of severe abdominal pain for over two weeks that had further increased over the last three days. The child also experienced continuous fever, vomiting & fatigue during this time. Over five months, anxious with the child’s unbearable painful condition the parents took him to multiple doctors and hospitals without much respite and finally brought in the child to Zulekha Hospital Dubai to see Dr. Salah Elghote, Specialist Paediatric Surgeon & Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgeon. Without delays, the child was admitted in the PICU for treatment in a very critical state with high fever and an abnormally rapid heart rate.
While the child was referred by the earlier hospitals advising surgery as a treatment solution, Dr. Elghote insisted to carry out certain primary investigations and successfully treated the child without surgeries. The investigations carried out revealed salmonella, an infection which is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. The ultrasound of the abdomen showed that the small intestine had thickened, and the x-ray of the abdomen and upper gastrointestinal areas cleared that there were no intestinal obstructions or intestinal ruptures.
The expert team continuously monitored the child’s condition and began treating him with IV fluids.
Due to high counts of white blood cells and high CRP (c-reactive protein) the medical team decided to treat the child with higher broad spectrum antibiotics to control infection first and then take any further decisions if needed. He responded well to the IV antibiotics.
After three weeks of medication the child’s condition improved and there was a reduction in abdominal pain and the vomiting subsided. Salman was given total parenteral nutrition (TPN ) in order to maintain nutrition and to give adequate rest for the gut to recover from infection and inflammation. Once the child regained strength and became stable he was given a liquid diet and then gradually a soft solid diet.
Thanking the hospital treating team, Salman’s father expressed his gratitude to the doctor and the team saying, “We were glad to see the child recover and get good sleep after months of pain and crying overnights.”
Salman has now fully recovered and back to his normal routine. He has been advised to refrain from spicy food and maintain a high fiber diet.