Key points from today’s guests:
Bruce and Amy Gay, Camden’s parents
- Three-year-old Camden had to be flown to Kansas City earlier this year from Pittsburgh, Kansas, after he had a series of strokes.
- He had a condition called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). A blood clot forms in the brain's venous sinuses and prevents blood from draining out of the brain.
- Doctors at Children's Mercy knew Camden was critical and would need surgery to remove a large clot in his brain. Camden was transferred to the University of Kansas Health System.
- They went in through his groin and went all the way to the brain to successfully remove the clot.
- Doctors told Bruce and Amy the multiple strokes damaged 20 percent of Camden's brain. But with his age, they believed Camden could learn to walk and talk again using a different part of his brain. And he is doing that now as Camden has finished physical therapy, is active and is learning new words.
- They are grateful for the collaboration among doctors to save Camden’s life.
Dr. Michael Abraham, neurointerventionist, The University of Kansas Health System
- Camden’s type of stroke is very rare out of all strokes -- about 5 percent of all of them.
- It's different than the normal stroke we see which involves the arteries. Those are what carry oxygen and nutrients to the brain. In Camden’s case, this involved the large draining veins.
- When you have a big clot sitting in there, that area of the brain cannot properly drain. So you start developing a lot of pressure. The spinal fluid can't drain as well. So people start to become very lethargic. Sometimes people can become comatose and fully unresponsive in very extreme cases.
- In Camden's case, his area of the brain where it could not drain started to develop the stroke there because the pressure became too high.
- Performing this surgery on someone so small is a challenge because we can’t use the same devices used for adults because of the size difference.
Dr. Shawn Sood, pediatric critical care physician, The University of Kansas Health System
- While doctors initially diagnosed Camden with a viral infection, it was more serious than that. Sometimes a viral infection can cause dehydration and change the coagulation profile as well and predispose you to a stroke and a clot as well.
- We don't think about strokes and kids, we just think about strokes and clots and adults. If there are changes in your child, bringing that attention to a medical provider, and going following your gut is really important.
- Bruce and Amy did the right thing by sharing all the information about Camden so the medical team could diagnose him and get him the care he needed.
- When it comes to your child’s health, pay attention. Just listen to them. If they're not normal, then you should check with your pediatrician.
Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director, infection prevention and control, The University of Kansas Health System
- The Health System has 17 patients with active COVID infections this week, up slightly from last week.
- The FDA, just as our public health entities like our state and local health departments, has a purpose to keep the public healthy and safe.
- The FDA has listed recalled eyedrops. They should already be off the shelves, but people could have ordered them online and may have them in their houses.
- If you do want to check if you have bought some recently, you can go to fda.gov/recalls and then you can search eyedrops.
Monday, Nov. 6 is the next Morning Medical Update. Learn about a patient who had his prostate removed, but it wasn't enough to keep cancer at bay. Find out how he decided to switch doctors and get precision therapy with minimal side effects.
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