Crying for help.

Posted By Mohammed Shehabi on November 22, 1998 at 16:23:12:







My name is Mohammed Shehabi and I am from a small island in the Arabian Gulf called Bahrain. I am writing this e-mail to who ever can spare time in shedding some light and probably hope to a certain illness called SHIGELLA FLEXNERI.
My nephews name is Ali, just turned eight years old this month and is on the 3rd grade. He is an intelligent, friendly, active and full of life young boy. His father, which is my eldest brother is very fond of him because of the fact that he looks exactly like him and he is also the first born son in the family. A month ago after years of waiting they just moved in to their new house which made everybody happy and exited especially little Ali. But five days ago, all the happiness and fulfillment they were enjoying was overshadowed when tragedy struck the family. After spending a day in the park with the whole family, at night Ali was taken to the hospital because he was suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. Eleven hours after being admitted in the hospital, he went into coma.
Below is his medical history i.e. drugs and various tests that were administered plus his attending physicians diagnosis (impression).
I made an investigation about this disease through the web, coming across the name of your institution; I am presuming that you can provide me and my family some answers as to what happened to my nephew
Hope is slowly slipping away each day, but whenever I look at my nephew each single day I visit him at the hospital looking so pale and fragile, gives me if but a bit of hope to try and find out what really happened to him and if there is still a slim chance of seeing that same old smile in his face again. But then again, if there is no possibility of recovery, I still have achieved something by clearing doubts in my head.  As a father of two boys myself, I can then talk to my brother regarding his sons condition, understanding the pains and sufferings hes been going through the past few days. Acceptance is the hardest I know, but with your help it would definitely lessen the pain. If its not much to ask, kindly include LITTLE ALI in your prayers.
This is the doctors report.
Medical history of : Ali Yaquoob Shehabi.
Seven years old male child presented with history of vomiting, Fever, diarrhea for 2 days admitted to our hospital was drowsy with mild to moderate dehydration with impression of acute gastroenteritis ?? shigellosis
Pt started on I.V.F., I.V. cefuroxime, 2 hours later he developed generalized tonic clonic convulsion for 5 minutes aborted with valium I.V., 15 minutes later he became apneic, cyanosed, intubated, connected to ventilator.
C.T. scan showed severe brain oedema.
His examination:
Fixed mid dilated pupils, no spontaneous movement, deeply comatosed, sluggish DT reflexes, abscent sup. Reflexes. His antibiotic changed to I.V. ceftriaxone, given Mannitol
Investigation:
Stool cxs Shigella Flexneri, blood cxs sterile electrolytes: Hyponatraemia initially now Hypernatraemia
EEG: on 2nd day no evidence of brain activity
Impression:
Acute gastroenteritis (Shigellosis)
Severe encephalopathy
      Brain death.
If you know of anybody who have encountered the same disease or have made some further studies about Shigella Flexneri it would be of much help if you could pass along my letter.