Old lady gardener in critical condition due to armpit sting

SKĐS - Doctors discovered a round, black-scaly ulcer in the armpit. This is a typical but easily overlooked sign of scrub typhus.

A female patient with TTK (81 years old, in Phu Tho ) with a history of type 2 diabetes had symptoms of continuous high fever of 39-40°C, accompanied by headache, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Scattered rashes appeared on the back. The fever responded poorly to common antipyretics and antibiotics. The patient treated herself at home for many days but did not improve.

After 5 days, the patient was taken to a local medical facility. Despite intensive treatment, the patient's condition did not improve: the patient continued to have a persistent fever, persistent headache, impaired perception, and nocturnal delirium.

The disease gradually worsened. On the 9th day, the patient was transferred to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

At the hospital, doctors discovered a round, black-scaly ulcer in the armpit. This is a typical but easily overlooked sign of scrub typhus. IgM Orientia Tsutsugamushi antibodies were positive. White blood cells increased slightly, platelets decreased, warning of potential sepsis.

Doctors recommend that when fever persists for an unknown reason, especially after exposure to bushes, fields, or gardens, you should go to a medical facility for examination.

The patient was diagnosed with severe scrub typhus, complications of pneumonia, liver damage and risk of meningitis. The patient was then treated with specific antibiotics.

According to the family, the patient lived in the countryside and regularly grew vegetables and did gardening. This is an important epidemiological factor because it increased the risk of exposure to mite larvae – a parasite on rats, living in low, damp grass.

BSCKI Le Van Thieu - Department of General Infections said that tick fever is an acute infection caused by Orientia Tsutsugamushi bacteria. The disease is transmitted through tick larvae (not adult ticks). When biting people, tick larvae leave round, painless, non-itchy ulcers that are often missed if not examined carefully. Common locations are the armpits, groin, behind the ears, under the breasts, around the navel...

Early symptoms are easily confused with flu (fever, headache, rash) so diagnosis is often delayed. If not treated with specific antibiotics, the disease can progress rapidly to pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis, liver failure, and be life-threatening, especially in the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions.

"Exploiting epidemiological factors such as gardening, contact with bushes, and examining the whole body for ulcers is extremely important to avoid missing the disease," Dr. Thieu emphasized.

Doctors recommend:

When fever persists for a long time without a clear cause, especially after exposure to bushes, fields, or gardens, you should go to a medical facility for examination to rule out tick fever and other dangerous diseases.

Proactive ways to prevent disease: Wear long clothes, use insect repellent, clear bushes, kill rats, especially during the rainy season.

Source: https://suckhoedoisong.vn/cu-ba-lam-vuon-nguy-kich-vi-vet-dot-o-nach-169251111144921673.htm