Quick update: Josh's fever seems to be the result of a staph infection on his right bottom cheek. I noticed it yesterday when he fell down on it and came in screaming with pain. It was a bright red bump a little hard and warm to the touch. Not knowing what it was, I put on some ointment during diaper changes. But obviously that did nothing. So this morning his bump was bigger and more painful for him so I scheduled him for a visit to the pediatrician's first thing. The doctor took his vitals first: weight 27.6, ears have a little pussiness (minor ear infection), lungs sounded a bit wheezy (continue nebulizer treatment over weekend), and then looked at his butt. She immediately said the puss needed to be pushed out and he wasn't going to like it.

Boy was she right.

We laid him on his tummy- diaper down, butt exposed- then the doctor proceeded to first prick the skin then squeeze the bloody pussy stuff out. Oh man it was awful. On the first good squeeze, some of it shot out getting me on the cheek and arm, the wall, the nurse... Yuck! Meanwhile Josh was crying out for mommy and daddy, even though I was holding down his chest and arms and trying to soothe him. Finally she got the majority out, put on a band-aid and prescribed ointment and recommended a bath with 2 tbsp. of bleach added to the water for the next several days/weeks. If the redness doesn't go away, we're to call her tomorrow and may have to go to the hospital. ugh! I kept thinking, not again! I'm hoping this will get better. We will go back for a check up Monday. Until then, Josh will be taking it easy and lounging with his butt up and diaper loose.

Addendum- I did further research and found this from kidshealth.org:

Without treatment, folliculitis can either heal within 1 week or progress to become boils. With a boil, the staph infection spreads deeper and wider, often affecting the skin's subcutaneous tissue (deeper tissue under the skin) and the oil-producing glands, which are called sebaceous glands. In the first stage, which parents and kids often miss, the area of skin either begins to itch or becomes mildly painful. Next, the skin turns red and begins to swell over the infected area. Finally, the skin above the infection becomes very tender and a whitish "head" may appear. The head may break, and the boil may begin to drain pus, blood, or an amber-colored liquid. Boils can occur anywhere on the skin, especially under the arms or on the groin or buttocks in children.
I think Josh had a bug bite or something that he scratched open making the area susceptible.

0 comments:

Followers

Contributors

Blog Archive

Search This Blog