Reye Syndrome :: essays research papers

Reye SyndromeReye Syndrome is an extremely rare, non-contagious disease thought to betriggered by aspirin use. The positive origin of the disease is unknown. ReyesSyndrome, occasionally called Reye-Jacobsens Syndrome, is known to follow anyviral infection. Two of the most common viral infections it precedes isinfluenza, the flu, and chicken pox. A now-familiar type on bottles ofaspirin, most notably Tylenol, is not to give Tylenol to a child who isrecovering from the chicken pox, a fever, or any other viral infection. Thelink between aspirin and Reyes Syndrome and is not fully understood, save allreported cases of Reyes Syndrome include a child who has received aspirinbefore infection.Symptoms of Reyes Syndrome whitethorn often be mistook for a recurrence of theflu, or extreme exhaustion. These symptoms include vomiting, confusion, lack ofcoordination, distorted balance, irritability, a stupor-like state, and a recentinfection from a viral illness. The symptoms often begin with v omiting andprogress to a stupor and near comatose state. This disease is often found inyoung children and infants. Over sixty percent of reported Reyes Syndromecases occur in children under the age of sixteen, with the majority of thesecases being in children under six. Although less than five percent of ReyesSyndrome cases occur in people over the age of sixty, the elderly are often themost severely affected, due to old age and weakening immune systems. Infants,while hindered by their young age, can often fight the infections of ReyeSyndrome better, for reasons doctors do not yet fully understand. The severityof Reyes Syndrome is classified on a scale of 1-5, with one and 2 being theonset of symptoms and four and five being the most severe, with the patientbeing comatose. With the most severe of Reyes Syndrome cases, internal fluidbuilds up in the wittiness and there is irreversible brain damage or even death.While the disease is not often fatal, it is essential to treat the dis ease early.Reyes Syndrome is not contagious, but the diseases that can lead to, such asthe flu, and chicken pox, are highly communicable.The first case of Reyes Syndrome was diagnosed in 1963. Looking backinto medical journals, there were galore(postnominal) mystery illnesses that had the samesymptoms as Reyes Syndrome, but no cases were positively diagnosed as beingReye Syndrome until this date. The definitive tests for this disease are a coloured biopsy and blood analysis. The liver biopsy can help determine thepresence of fat and lipid formation in the liver. Upon surgical examination,the liver is slightly enlarged, firm, and bright yellow.