Tracy

2 year old Tracy was brought to the hospital 5 days ago by her parents.  She had been hospitalized 3 days earlier in the Southwest with fever.  Her condition deteriorated with development of profound lethargy, prompting her parents to bring her to us.  Her medical record from the other hospital contained no information about her diagnosis or treatment.  Unfortunately this lack of information from other health care facilities is very common.  Tracy’s father could hardly contain his anger when I explained the lack of information sent from the other hospital.  I was concerned about meningitis so we did a spinal tap immediately which was negative.  Her Malaria test was positive and her Hemoglobin was very low.  She was aggressively treated for Cerebral Malaria and given a blood transfusion.  Her father was extremely excited the next morning telling me the moment her blood transfusion began she started getting better.

Over 48 hours Tracy woke up, initially crying, then looking about the room and then talking and walking.  She was well enough to be discharged today.  Her parents were delighted that Tracy’s recovery from Cerebral Malaria was the fastest that we have seen.