A rare disorder in children and teenagers while recovering from childhood infections, such as chicken pox, flu, and other viral infections. Reye’s syndrome include nausea, severe vomiting, fever, lethargy, stupor, restlessness, and possibly delirium. Also caused by taking aspirin in children less than 16 years old.
A potentially fatal disease affecting the liver and brain that has been linked to the use of aspirin in children and teenagers with chicken pox or the flu. It is marked by vomiting, lethargy, seizures, and can even lead to coma and death.
A rare but potentially fatal disorder affecting the liver and brain that has been linked to the use of aspirin in children and teenagers with chicken pox or flu (influenza). It is marked by vomiting, lethargy, seizures, and can even lead to coma and death. Because of the risk of Reye’s syndrome, children 19 or younger should be given a medication other than aspirin (such as acetaminophen) to reduce fever or for pain relief.
A rare brain infection in children and adolescents that is more likely to occur as a result of the ingestion of aspirin when the child has a fever along with the flu or chicken pox.
A form of brain disease affecting young children, which is possibly due to viral infection and has a suspected link with aspirin.
Reye syndrome is a condition of unknown origin that is characterized by encephalopathy and fatty degeneration of the liver (National Reye’s Syndrome Foundation, 2001). Reye syndrome is acute, rapidly progressive, and typically occurs following a viral illness in children and adolescents treated with aspirin, but rare cases have been found in adults. Just as the child appears to be recovering from the viral infection (frequently influenza), protracted, recurring vomiting occurs, followed by neurological and behavioral changes such as listlessness or aggression (National Reye’s Syndrome Foundation, 2001).
A severe, sometimes fatal, disorder of unknown origin that causes swelling of the brain and accumulation of fats in the liver. It affects primarily children and teenagers, generally as they are recovering from a viral infection, such as influenza, chicken pox (varicella), or Epstein-Barr virus. Early signs, often about a week into a viral illness, include vomiting, confusion, lethargy, and jaundice, progressing in severe cases to coma, seizures, disruption of heart rhythm, and cessation of breathing. No specific treatment exists, and Reye’s syndrome is a leading cause of death among children beyond infancy, with survivors of serious cases often suffering brain damage. But intensive nursing care—involving steroid drugs to reduce brain swelling, blood transfusions and dialysis to correct problems in body chemistry, and a ventilator to aid breathing—has sharply lowered the mortality rate, in the most severe cases from 80 percent to well under 50 percent, and in milder cases, down to 10 to 20 percent. Because the disorder seems often to be triggered by aspirin, public health experts recommend acetaminophen instead of aspirin for children with illnesses that are or may be viral.
Poorly understood syndrome involving abnormal brain function and fatty infiltration of internal organs, especially the liver. It occurs chiefly in children after an acute viral infection (especially viruses associated with influenza and chicken pox); an association with aspirin intake has also been observed. Vomiting and confusion typically occur about a week after the viral infection, sometimes leading to disorientation, seizures, coma, and respiratory arrest. The cause is unknown, and there is no specific treatment. Intensive monitoring of all vital functions and correction of any imbalances may improve the prognosis.
A complex of symptoms following administration of aspirin for fever in children, characterized by liver damage, brain dysfunction, fever, and vomiting.
An acute, possibly vital disease that occurs most frequently in children. It may follow another illness, such as an upper respiratory infection. Reye’s syndrome may begin with vomiting, headache, or sudden change in mental status, which can progress to stupor, coma, and death if not promptly treated. Fatty infiltration of the pancreas, spleen, heart, kidney, lymph nodes, and liver may occur.
A very rare childhood disorder that is potentially fatal to children under 18; it is strongly associated with taking aspirin, but the exact cause remains unknown. In Reye syndrome, a child’s brain and liver swell, following a viral infection (such as influenza or chickenpox) or an upper respiratory tract infection. A third of cases occur in children who have chickenpox. Most cases occur in children between ages 4 and 16. Like viral infections, Reye syndrome most frequently occurs in winter. Educating parents about the association of aspirin with the disease has greatly reduced the number of cases seen in the United States. To avoid risk, children should be treated for fever with ibuprofen or acetaminophen instead of aspirin.
A condition, now rare, causing liver failure in children and young persons following a virus infection of the upper respiratory tract or a viral infection such as chickenpox or influenza. Aspirin plays a part in its causation although many children who have suffered from it in the past have now been discovered to have an inherited metabolic disorder such that aspirin was probably irrelevant. Nonetheless, its importance is such that aspirin should not be given to persons under 20 years old unless there is a special reason for doing so.
A syndrome marked by acute encephalopathy and fatty infiltration of the liver and often of the pancreas, heart, kidney, spleen, and lymph nodes. It is seen primarily in children under age 18, after an acute viral infection such as chickenpox or influenza. The mortality rate depends on the severity of the central nervous system involvement but may be as high as 80%. Fortunately, the disease occurs rarely. The cause of the disease is unknown, but association with increased use of aspirin and other salicylates is evident from epidemiological studies.
An uncommon yet potentially life-threatening condition marked by the presence of a rash, vomiting, and liver impairment. This disorder is linked to the administration of aspirin or other salicylates to children during their recovery from a viral illness.
An uncommon condition characterized by brain and liver impairment subsequent to a viral infection. Individuals above the age of 16 are seldom impacted by this disorder. While the exact cause is uncertain, the consumption of aspirin appears to increase the likelihood of developing the condition. Consequently, the use of this medication is not advised for children below the age of 16.
The disorder initiates its onset during the child’s recovery from the infection. Indications encompass uncontrollable vomiting, lethargy, memory impairment, and confusion. Brain swelling might lead to seizures, disruptions in heart rhythm, coma, and cessation of breathing.
Corticosteroid medications and intravenous administration of mannitol can help manage brain swelling. Dialysis or blood transfusions might be necessary to rectify alterations in blood chemistry due to liver damage. In the event of breathing cessation, the patient is placed on a ventilator.
In Reye’s syndrome, the mortality rate is a minimum of ten percent, and it is even higher for individuals experiencing seizures, falling into a profound coma, and halting their breathing. Those who manage to survive a severe episode might face enduring brain impairment.