resistant strep

[harmony]

harmony,

I really feel for you, I've heard my kid say something like that too.......

 

Is your boy on longterm abx, or he just gets a round whenever he gets these sinus infections or other illness, sorry, can't tell from the post. Do they alleviate any of the neuro issues?

 

I havn't heard of the bacteria testing you described in the first post, why did they do that, under whose instructions? do they do that for everyone? it sounds interesting. does the doctor think it means anything that the strep was found in the mucous, but not in the throat? is that usual?

No he is not on long term antibiotics regularly. He is only on 60+ days of antibiotics now because of the infection. He used to be on prophylactic- but it tore up his gut- even with probiotics (that was 3 years ago).

I think we are going to start the prophylactic again after this course.

 

The immunologist ordered those test following a sinus infection that took 3 months of antibiotics to clear up- and plus he was constantly getting strep throat (anywhere from 4-8 times a year). She also reordered another CF test because of constant mucus in nose- he is doing this next week.(we rescheduled this many times but had to cancel because he kept getting sick).

 

I do not even think they tested his throat in the last 2 weeks (last + strep throat culture was mid Nov). I do not think they even biopsied his tonsils when they removed them 2 weeks ago.

The Dr.s main concern was his nose- IT WAS REALLY BAD!!

The ENT said the most common bacteria found in the sinuses is STREP. Though- my son's 1st sinus surgery 3 years ago was staph.

His Neurological problems this school year have been like a saw tooth. Just when you think things are better- it comes right back.

[thereishope]

In order for him to have Cystic Fibrosis wouldn't both you and the father both have to be carriers? Have you both been tested?

[dut]

The CF test they offer when you are pregnant only covers some percentage of the genes that cause CF. So even if you get a negative screen during pregnancy you can still carry the other, less common CF genes.

 

I only learnt this recently when our ds2 sneezed (yes, I said sneezed ) a polyp out of his nose. When little kids get polyps it can be a sign of CF, so he did the CF sweat test. He was clear but it was news to me that the pregancy screening didn't cover all CF genes....

[thereishope]

Wow. Is the test they give the pregnant woman, the same for the test they give the father? I tested + as a carrier. My husband tested negative.

[harmony]

In order for him to have Cystic Fibrosis wouldn't both you and the father both have to be carriers? Have you both been tested?

I have never been tested.

I called the OB/GYN 3 years ago- so we could avoid an unnecessary test- and found out that I was never tested- my records state that I refused the test. ?????? I don't remember that.

But the Immunologist and ID both said that the test is not always accurate and they would test him again even if I had a negative test during pregnancy. I am trying not to think about it too much-the thought of this diagnosis scares me. I was happy with the neg. test results years ago- and we are praying for another negative.

[thereishope]

I was never tested with my first two kids because it wasn't a standard test but when I had my third baby in 2006 it was now a standard for the state. So with my first two kids I never knew I was +.

 

I feel bad for my kids. When they get older they have to be tested to see if they are carriers. I can only imagine what it would be like if they are and they have to tell their future spouse to be tested before they have kids.

 

I think most kids are idenitified as babies that they have it so you're kids are probably in the clear.

[memom]

Wow. Is the test they give the pregnant woman, the same for the test they give the father? I tested + as a carrier. My husband tested negative.

 

 

There are two ways to test for CF carrier status. First is with cheek scraping. The second is with blood. The cheek scraping tests for the majority of common mutations (I believe the number is 98%). The blood can test for a few more rare ones. CF can be spontaneously mutating though not common. Most often both parents have the recessive gene. You can test negative in pregnancy but actually be positive. Most of the time the mothers swab is tested first, if it is negative, they don't test the fathers swab. The problem with this system is that if the mother had a rare mutation not caught on the cheek swab, it would get missed. In that situation if the father had a common mutation their baby would have a 25% risk of CF even though the cheek swab was normal. This actually happened to a patient of mine.

 

Most of the time CF is picked up in the first few years of life. It can however go undiagnosed for years. Though it will more likely than not come back negative given a negative once, I would want my child to be retested given the health history Harmony describes.

 

Ellie

[memom]

I forgot to put - that he has had negative throat cultures in between positive Strep throat.

 

 

Harmony,

 

Your question was whether or not the sensitivities are accurate as a test to see if an antibiotic will work. It is the most important test when care providers dealing with an infection that does not seem to be responding well to normal treatment or keeps comming back. There is a great thread that Alex wrote on this subject, I just read it. It speaks to how that even though strep should be sensitive to all cillins, that it does not take into account other bacteria that may be present. These bacteria though not part of the regular infection can produce a chemical that breaks down the antibiotic rendering it less effective to the strep you're trying to kill. That is why augmentin works when regular amoxicillin doesn't. (Certain staph strains can disable penicillins). Take a look at Alex's post. I think someone else recently reposted Alex's post of Augmentin extended release discussion.

 

Ellie