Reye’s Syndrome can strike anyone, including both genders and any race. No one is immune, though it is more common in infants and children.
Research has proven that 95% of those who contacted Reye’s Syndrome after a viral illness had ingested aspirin.
Reye’s Syndrome almost always follows a viral illness of the upper respiratory tract. This includes colds, chickenpox, influenza, bronchitis, and ear infections.
A fever doesn’t necessarily accompany symptoms of Reye’s Syndrome.
Aspirin does not have to be ingested for Reye’s Syndrome to strike.
Reye’s Syndrome can run from a few hours to days in duration.
Sufferers of Reye’s Syndrome must be diagnosed and treated immediately to ensure the disease isn’t fatal.
Treatment
Reye’s Syndrome is a rapidly progressive disease and treatment varies. Time is of the essence when someone contacts this debilitating disease. There is no cure for Reye’s Syndrome and for it to be successfully managed, early diagnoses is imperative. Treatment is given to protect the brain against permanent damage by reducing the swelling that occurs with Reye’s.
Severe Reye’s Syndrome
Anyone suffering from a severe case of Reye’s Syndrome must seek the services of an intensive care unit and doctors and nurses that have experience in treating the disease. Children suffering from Reye’s should be admitted to a hospital that specializes in children’s disease. Others should be treated at a teaching hospital. If this isn’t possible, the local hospital should immediately consult with health care professionals at either a children’s or teaching hospital in order to ensure proper treatment.
Reye’s and Mortality
Reye’s Syndrome was discovered in 1963. At that time, the morality rate was 80%. Ten years later, it had been reduced to 40% and by 1983 it was down to 31%. In 1996 the mortality rate increased to 50%, probably because of misdiagnosis.