Monday, January 31, 2011

HYPERKALEMIA - WHY?

Yesterday was the first day for Syazwan to collect his blood for liver enzymes monitoring at Kemaman District Hospital. The procedure was reasonably fast. It was all over before 11.00.

Thinking that it would be normal or improved, we did not pay much attention to him collecting his blood results that afternoon. So Syazwan just drove to the hospital while I was ready for Australian Open men's final and the ladies, oh they all went to Mesra mall in Kemasik.

Then Syazwan called. His Potassium level was way high. So too were his ALP. He was immediately warded.

The first thing that I asked from the staff nurse as I arrived was for him to be put in the first or second class.

"Sorry sir, District hospitals do not have first or second class wards. All we have are third class wards!"

So, Syazwan had to bear with the crammed-in condition of the ward.

Friday, January 28, 2011

SYAZWAN WAS SO YELLOW!

Sorry for not up-dating my blog for quite sometimes. I just did not have anything worth writing so far.

Then my son, Khairul Syazwan, over in UiTM Shah Alam called. He had just had his back x-rayed...there was nothing broken, just soft tissue damage perhaps. He was given muscle relaxant tablets

That night again he called, this time telling me that his urine was red in colour! I told him to go back to the medical centre. He did just that and was given antibiotics.

The following morning again he called me telling me that his eyes were yellow and he was very tired. I asked him to go to the clinic again immediately.

The doctor there suspected that he was suffering from acute hepatitis and asked him to be sent to Hospital Klang. I called him to change it to HKL instead and so on that Wednesday afternoon he was sent to Ward 27 HKL.

I told my head department about his health problem and was asked to go to my son immediately. So I drove down to Kemaman and got ready to drive to HKL the following morning.

Syazwan was intensely yellow! Even his dark skin could not hide the yellowing effect of bilirubin. A quick discussion with a doctor told me that it was an acute hepatitis.

A band of tests were carried out...hepatitis A, B, C; Leptospirosis, Malaria, Epstein Barr Virus...all were negative, much to the surprise of the doctors.

Ultrasound examination showed that his liver, bile ducts and pancreas were normal. There was no gall stones. But his liver enzymes continued on the increase trend. That worried the attending doctors.

Finally doctors and a pharmacist thought that it was probably drug-induced hepatitis. Myonal, a muscle relaxant, may be the culprit.

Cousins and friends visited him while he was in the ward. Even parents of his friend came all the way from Gombak to see him.

After more than a week in the hospital, his condition improved. He was very happy. His liver enzymes and bilirubin was beginning to show a decreasing trend. The doctors agreed to discharge him.

He was to see the nearest hospital to have his enzymes level monitored twice weekly.

So on Thursday afternoon I drove him home much to the delight of his mom and little sister.

Welcome home Acik and may you recover fully. Syukur Alhamdulillah for bringing back his health so soon.