peds ward patients

To tell about the patients, I will need to take a deep breath and just list diseases...
BTW, no such thing as HIPPA in India. Or any AC in the hospital. Anywhere. Beds are old iron and several in a room with green surgicaltype small cloths on mattresses where hips and head go. Parents (moms- dads are kind of kicked out when visiting hrs are done) stand (no chairs) and sleep curled next to children in the small beds.

1. 1.5 yr old, LRI- in the last 5 yrs has outdone gastroenteritis as the leading cause of death in children under 5 yrs old. Increasing asthma- as a result, increasing theophylline (the mainstay here) poisonings.
2. 11 yr, tachy, dyspnea at rest for last 1.5 yrs, marasmus, scoliosis: possible TB, with marked clubbing, peripheral cyanosis, terrible fibrotic sounding lungs. pO2 57. Pulm HTN. Very sad- no parents have been seen. (which means no one to help get her food or feed her)
3. 10 yr, Wilson's dz (several recent cases weirdly enough) presenting first with neural sxs (very rare- no jaundice, just neuro) Handwriting deteriorated, then ataxic gait. Frontal lobe doing well but totally lacking muscle control neck-down. Kaiser-Fleisher rings. From Calcutta. Is throwing up pennicillamine but other drug is too$$.
4. 8 yr, CRF and sepsis- due to post. urethral valves. Looks 4- bad marasmus (parents also look it). Admitted with hgb of 3. Two transfusions. Tx with cefotaxime.
5. 1.5 yr old- unk. poisoning- possible theophylline or OP. No drooling as expected with OP.

Saw many other cases in addition but I couldn't keep writing cause a new gp joined us and they speak so softly I can't hear anything!! Among them however were rheumatic fever with pericarditis and migrating nodules. And subacute sclerosing panencephalitis- very sad- lots of involuntary mvts and spastic limbs. Several nephrotic syndrome also (but I think our attending was a nephrologist so....)