She was the sickest patient, who survived, that I can recall. A nurse in her 30s, barely able to move and to tell me about her medical condition that winter day. The thermometer that I placed under her tongue reported 108 degrees (in the "heatstroke" range), which is as high as those thermometers read. The physical exam showed nothing diagnostic except for neck stiffness. She looked as if she was going to die. I did a spinal tap (lumbar puncture) which suggested a viral infection of the nervous system. The diagnosis was confirmed by laboratory testing. A week later, after intensive supportive care, this nurse left the hospital, and a few weeks later she was back to work, recovered.
This was the picture of measles, a disease which killed a significant portion of the Native American population in the 1700 and 1800s. A diseases which vaccination now prevents - if mature adult judgment recognizes that parents are responsible for protecting their children from measles by having them vaccinated. It is irresponsible to withhold measles vaccination from a child who has no contraindications to vaccination. Bluntly: parents who love their kids protect them from serious infectious diseases by vaccinating them.
Read about measles and other diseases for which vaccination saves lives, prevents misery and saves health care dollars.. And make sure that your kids, and their friends and friends' friends, are vaccinated.*
My blogging has been intermittent because of personal health issues. I hope to get back to my schedule of two to three times a week. Stay well!
*Link added July 3, 2011
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