Mason Hospital Update

Hey guys, this is Preston blogging in Angela's place.  Just wanted to update everybody on Mason.  Some of you know already, but he was admitted on Thursday night to LeBonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis.  He's got a bad cellulitis in his groin, about a couple of inches below his diaper line, and has not been showing a whole lot of clinical improvement, although i do think it has improved slightly.  Tonight will be 72 hours on the same iv antibiotic.  The infection came on farily rapidly and started from the cyst that he's had in that area since birth.  The cyst has a tiny microscopic hole at the opening of the skin and this acts as a portal of entry for bacteria to get down underneath the skin and cause infection, typically in the form of any abscess (collection of pus) or cellulitis (infection of the deep layer of the skin and soft tissues).  The treatment as i like to say for an abscess is surgical steel-  you cut it open and drain it.  Me and all his docs felt that he had an abscess initially but when they took him to the operating room, nothing really drained out of the infected area.  The treatment for cellulitis is oral antibiotics in mild cases, IV antibiotics in more severe cases.  MOST cases of cellulitis are caused by Strep and Staph bacteria- alot of severe cases are caused specifically by MRSA- which is a very resistant form of staph.  The problem with Mason's cellulitis is we don't know the bacteria specifically causing the infection because it is hard to isolate in cases of cellulitis.  You can send blood cultures but these do not very often tell you the bacteria causing the infection.  SO, you are left playing a guessing game to some extent.  If the patient does ok, you keep the same antiboitics, if they don't improve, you add more antiobitics and "broaden" your coverage of types of bacteria.

Today they added an additional iv antibiotic.  Tomorrow if his fevers are coming down or stopping and his infection is getting better, we may be able to go home and continue oral antibiotics for another week.  However, if he continues on the present course, they are likely going to start IV Vancomycin which would commit him to likely minimum 3-5 day additional days in the hospital.  We are taking it one day at a time.

Once the infection is all settled down, they plan to take him back to the operating room in the next month or two and surgically remove the cyst that is causing the problem.

Sorry for the extensive medical dialogue, but lots of folks have been asking what's going on and just wanted to clear up any confusion.  Mason is in good spirits, he is one tough kid!  We took him on a wagon ride around the hospital today and he really liked that.  We covet your prayers for his speedy recovery and to strengthen his mom and dad through all of this!  love,  The Gallahers