Treatment FAQ

what is the standard treatment reye's syndrome

by Prof. Mckenzie Lueilwitz MD Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Medications often used to treat Reye's syndrome include: insulin to increase glucose metabolism. corticosteroids to reduce brain swelling. diuretics to get rid of excess fluid.

Medication

After experiencing symptoms of the viral infection for five to seven days, symptoms of Reye’s syndrome appear, including: Vomiting. Feeling tired or lethargic. Showing anxiety, confusion, becoming easily disoriented or experiencing hallucinations. Personality changes such as agitation, irritability or combativeness.

Therapy

Nov 18, 2016 · Medications often used to treat Reye’s syndrome include: insulin to increase glucose metabolism corticosteroids to reduce brain swelling diuretics to get rid of excess fluid In severe cases, a...

Nutrition

Apr 02, 2018 · No specific treatment exists for Reye syndrome; supportive care is based on the stage of the syndrome. Continue careful monitoring. Establish …

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Apr 15, 2021 · Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for Reye syndrome. Primarily, the treatment aims to decrease the effects of the metabolic dysfunction. Health care providers admit patients with Reye syndrome to an intensive care unit where doctors who specialize in the care of critically ill children can manage them.

What is the prognosis for Reye's syndrome?

Doctors will give intravenous fluids to a patient with Reye’s syndrome. They will typically administer a solution containing glucose and electrolytes to correct and stabilize the levels of nutrients and salts in the patient’s blood. Doctors will also administer anticonvulsants and ammonia detoxicants intravenously.

Will you have Reye's syndrome with ibuprofen?

Critical and comparative evaluation of the treatment of Reye's syndrome can only proceed within the framework of a randomized controlled trial. A need exists for determining the best available monitoring procedures, seeking the most sensitive indicators of patient status while exposing the patient to the minimal risk. ...

What to know about Reye's syndrome?

1. Arch Neurol. 1986 Jul;43(7):729-31. What is the best treatment for Reye's syndrome? [No authors listed] PMID: 3089199 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Why is it called Reye's syndrome?

Jan 07, 2022 · Symptoms of Reye’s Syndrome. The blood sugar level usually drops while the levels of ammonia and acidity in their blood may also rise, in Reye’s Syndrome. At the same time, the liver may swell and develop fatty deposits. Moreover, swelling can also occur in the brain, which can cause seizures, convulsions, or loss of consciousness.

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What is the best method of preventing Reye's syndrome?

Reye's syndrome is a dangerous condition, and children and teenagers are at risk. Parents can reduce the risk by avoiding aspirin and making sure they vaccinate their children against chickenpox and flu.Oct 4, 2021

Which drug is indicated in Reye's syndrome?

Aspirin has been linked with Reye's syndrome, so use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers for fever or pain. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should never take aspirin.Aug 15, 2020

Can you recover from Reye's syndrome?

Survival rate for Reye's syndrome has improved in recent years and is now at about 80 percent. Early detection and treatment is key to a full recovery, with later diagnosis sometimes leading to permanent brain damage and disability. Those who have lapsed into a coma also have a poorer outlook .Jun 16, 2017

How do you stop chicken pox from spreading?

Calamine lotion and a cool bath with added baking soda, uncooked oatmeal, or colloidal oatmeal may help relieve some of the itching. Try to keep fingernails trimmed short and minimize scratching to prevent the virus from spreading to others and to help prevent skin infections.

How aspirin causes Reye's syndrome?

In most cases, aspirin has been used to treat their symptoms, so aspirin may trigger Reye's syndrome. In Reye's syndrome, it's thought that tiny structures within the cells called mitochondria become damaged.

How long does Reye's syndrome last?

Reye's syndrome is a biphasic condition that typically occurs in a child who is otherwise healthy. It begins as a prodromal febrile illness that is likely viral in nature, such as an upper respiratory infection or varicella, or possibly rotavirus. After this illness resolves, the child will recover for 3 to 5 days.Mar 20, 2012

What patients are at highest risk for Reye's syndrome?

Reye's syndrome is primarily a children's disease, although it can occur at any age. Cases usually happen in the fall and winter seasons and are present in children younger than 18 years old.Feb 25, 2022

At what age is aspirin safe?

Abstract. For several years it has been recommended that aspirin should be avoided in children under the age of 12 years because of the risk of Reye's Syndrome.

Is Reye's syndrome a disease?

Reye's syndrome (RS) is primarily a children's disease, although it can occur at any age. It affects all organs of the body but is most harmful to the brain and the liver--causing an acute increase of pressure within the brain and, often, massive accumulations of fat in the liver and other organs.

Is aspirin a preventable factor for Reye's syndrome?

Epidemiologic evidence indicates that aspirin (salicylate) is the major preventable risk factor for Reye's syndrome. The mechanism by which aspirin and other salicylates trigger Reye's syndrome is not completely understood.

Is aspirin a cause of Reye's syndrome?

Epidemiologic evidence indicates that aspirin (salicylate) is the major preventable risk factor for Reye's syndrome. The mechanism by which aspirin and other salicylates trigger Reye's syndrome is not completely understood. A "Reye's-like" illness may occur in children with genetic metabolic disorders and other toxic disorders.

Is there a cure for RS?

There is no cure for RS. Successful management, which depends on early diagnosis, is primarily aimed at protecting the brain against irreversible damage by reducing brain swelling, reversing the metabolic injury, preventing complications in the lungs, and anticipating cardiac arrest.

What are the symptoms of RS?

Symptoms of RS include persistent or recurrent vomiting, listlessness, personality changes such as irritability or combativeness, disorientation or confusion, delirium, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. If these symptoms are present during or soon after a viral illness, medical attention should be sought immediately.

How is Reye's syndrome treated?

It’s typically treated with hospitalization. In severe cases, children will be treated in the intensive care unit. There’s no cure for Reye’s syndrome, so treatment is supportive, focusing on reducing symptoms and complications. Doctors will make sure the child stays hydrated and maintains balanced electrolytes.

What are the medications used for Reye's syndrome?

Children with seizures will be given appropriate medications to control them and their side effects. Medications often used to treat Reye’s syndrome include: insulin to increase glucose metabolism. corticosteroids to reduce brain swelling. diuretics to get rid of excess fluid.

What is Reye's syndrome?

Reye’s syndrome is a rare disorder that causes brain and liver damage. Although it can happen at any age, it is most often seen in children. Reye’s syndrome usually occurs in children who have had a recent viral infection, such as chickenpox or the flu.

Can you get Reye's syndrome in children?

Although it can happen at any age, it is most often seen in children. Reye’s syndrome usually occurs in children who have had a recent viral infection, such as chickenpox or the flu. Taking aspirin to treat such an infection greatly increases the risk of Reye’s. Both chickenpox and the flu can cause headaches.

How long does it take for Reye's syndrome to appear?

They generally appear over the course of several hours. The first symptom of Reye’s is usually vomiting. This is followed by irritability or aggressiveness. After that, children may become confused and lethargic. They may have seizures or fall into a coma. There is no cure for Reye’s syndrome.

Why does Reye's syndrome occur?

Several factors may play a role. There’s strong evidence showing that it can be triggered when people treat a viral infection with aspirin. It seems to occur in children and teenagers who have an underlying fatty acid oxidation disorder.

Can a teenager get Reye's syndrome?

Children and teenagers with underlying fatty acid oxidation disorders are those at highest risk for Reye’s syndrome. Screening tests can reveal if your child has this disorder. According to the Mayo Clinic, in some cases Reye’s may be an underlying metabolic condition that is exposed by a virus.

What is the most common disease associated with Reye's syndrome?

The most frequent of these rare disorders is medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (MCAD) deficiency. Exposure to certain toxins — such as insecticides, herbicides and paint thinner — may produce symptoms ...

What is the most common cause of Reye's syndrome?

Reye's syndrome most often affects children and teenagers recovering from a viral infection, most commonly the flu or chickenpox. Signs and symptoms such as confusion, seizures and loss of consciousness require emergency treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment of Reye's syndrome can save a child's life. Aspirin has been linked with Reye's ...

Can you give a child aspirin for Reye's syndrome?

Early diagnosis and treatment of Reye's syndrome can save a child's life. Aspirin has been linked with Reye's syndrome, so use caution when giving aspirin to children or teenagers for fever or pain. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than age 3, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like symptoms should ...

How long does it take for Reye's syndrome to show?

The signs and symptoms of Reye's syndrome typically appear about three to five days after the onset of a viral infection, such as the flu (influenza) or chickenpox, or an upper respiratory infection, such as a cold.

What are the early symptoms of Reye's syndrome?

Rapid breathing. For older children and teenagers, early signs and symptoms may include: Persistent or continuous vomiting. Unusual sleepiness or lethargy.

Why is Reye's syndrome triggered?

Reye's syndrome seems to be triggered by using aspirin to treat a viral illness or infection — particularly flu (influenza) and chickenpox — in children and teenagers who have an underlying fatty acid oxidation disorder.

Can paint thinner cause Reye's syndrome?

Exposure to certain toxins — such as insecticides, herbicides and paint thinner — may produce symptoms similar to those of Reye's syndrome, but these toxins don't cause Reye's syndrome.

Is Reye syndrome a liver transplant?

Reye syndrome has been successfully treated with liver transplantation. [ 12] Supportive care is based on the clinical stage of the syndrome, with aggressive treatment provided to correct or prevent metabolic abnormalities, particularly hypoglycemia and hyperammonemia, and to prevent or control cerebral edema.

Can hyperammonemia be corrected?

Place a nasogastric tube to decompress the abdomen. Hyperammonemia can contribute to cerebral edema and therefore must be corrected aggressively. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved any medication for treatment of hyperammonemia specifically due to Reye syndrome.

Can children take salicylates?

Salicylates should be avoided in children, except in those who have conditions for which salicylates are a mainstay of therapy (eg, Kawasaki disease). Of approximately 200,000 children in Japan who were treated with aspirin for Kawasaki disease, only 1 was reported to have developed Reye syndrome.

Is sodium phenylacetate FDA approved?

However, sodium phenylacetate–sodium benzoate is FDA-approved for the treatment of a cute hyperammonemia and associated encephalopathy in patients with deficiencies in enzymes of the urea cycle. Administer ondansetron 1-2 mg IV during the first 15 minutes of the initial dose of sodium phenylacetate–sodium benzoate.

Is there a cure for Reye syndrome?

Unfortunately, there is no effective treatment for Reye syndrome. Primarily, the treatment aims to decrease the effects of the metabolic dysfunction. Health care providers admit patients with Reye syndrome to an intensive care unit where doctors who specialize in the care of critically ill children can manage them.

What is Reye syndrome?

Facts you should know about Reye syndrome. Reye syndrome is a rare and severe illness that affects children. Reye syndrome is associated with viral infection and aspirin use. Reye syndrome causes vomiting and mental-status changes. Diagnosing Reye syndrome primarily depends on the clinical history of symptoms.

What is the diagnosis of Reye syndrome?

Reye syndrome causes vomiting and mental-status changes. Diagnosing Reye syndrome primarily depends on the clinical history of symptoms. The most common abnormal laboratory tests with Reye syndrome include elevated ...

What is the most common abnormal laboratory test for Reye syndrome?

The most common abnormal laboratory tests with Reye syndrome include elevated liver enzymes, elevated ammonia levels, and low serum glucose levels. Treatment is supportive, and even with treatment, severe Reye syndrome results in permanent brain damage and death.

Is Reye syndrome fatal?

Reye syndrome is a rare but often severe and even fatal illness that primarily occurs in children and adolescents. Children diagnosed with Reye syndrome generally present with vomiting and mental-status changes. The illness can resolve spontaneously or progress to coma and death.

Can Reye syndrome cause death?

The illness can resolve spontaneously or progress to coma and death. Although the cause is still unclear, studies have identified that there is a relationship between some viral infections and the use of aspirin medications.

Can Reye syndrome be diagnosed with encephalopathy?

Doctors consider a diagnosis of Reye syndrome in any child who has unexplained brain dysfunction ( encephalopathy ), vomiting, and liver dysfunction. A history of a recent viral infection and aspirin use certainly supports the diagnosis. In general, laboratory studies that reveal a prominent blood acidosis and an increase in liver enzymes ...

Is there a cure for Reye's syndrome?

While there is currently no cure for Reye’s syndrome, there are treatments that can control the symptoms. There are also ways to prevent Reye’s syndrome or at least reduce the chances of developing it.

Where is Reye's syndrome treated?

Reye’s syndrome is usually treated in a hospital, and severe cases are sent to the intensive care unit. There, the medical staff will use a variety of treatments to help the patient. For example, they will use cooling blankets to bring the patient’s body temperature down to a safe level.

How long does it take for Reye's syndrome to show?

Patients typically start showing symptoms of Reye’s syndrome three to five days after the onset of the initial illness . The early symptoms of Reye’s syndrome vary depending on the patient’s age.

What are the early symptoms of Reye's syndrome?

Early symptoms in older patients include extreme lethargy and frequent vomiting. As Reye’s syndrome progresses, the patient will develop other symptoms, including irrational behavior, irritability, paralysis or weakness in the limbs, seizures, hallucinations, confusion, extreme lethargy, and lessened consciousness.

Does Reye's syndrome cause liver problems?

Medication To Prevent Bleeding. Working Mother. Reye’s syndrome can cause liver abnormalities that result in bleeding. Doctors will, therefore, administer medication to prevent bleeding in the liver. The medications will contain any combination of platelets, plasma, and Vitamin K. Platelets are tiny cells in the blood that help clots form.

What do doctors give to a patient with Reye's syndrome?

Doctors will give intravenous fluids to a patient with Reye’s syndrome. They will typically administer a solution containing glucose and electrolytes to correct and stabilize the levels of nutrients and salts in the patient’s blood. Doctors will also administer anticonvulsants and ammonia detoxicants intravenously.

How long does dexamethasone help with Reye's syndrome?

The dosage of dexamethasone depends on the patient’s weight and the severity of their condition. Doctors will not use high doses of dexamethasone for more than two or three days.

Is CT scan necessary for Reye's syndrome?

Thus, CT scanning is not an integral part of the diagnostic evaluation of the child with Reye's syndrome. If, however, the test is done early in the course of illness, it will show either a normal pattern or evidence of diffuse brain edema, with no displacement of the ventricles or localized areas of enhancement.

Is Reye's syndrome a viral infection?

Although the etiology of Reye's syndrome remains unknown, an association with a recent viral infection, especially influenza B and varicella, is well established. However, the development of Reye's syndrome following any of these viral infections is uncommon, and why only certain individuals develop the disease deserves further study. In addition, three recent population-based case-control studies have demonstrated an apparent association between salicylate usage and Reye's syndrome. Since the specific questions posed to the panel and discussed at the consensus conference were limited to diagnosis and treatment, the data on which this association is based were not presented but were discussed by several participants in the conference. Each of the three studies indicates an increase in the estimated relative risk of Reye's syndrome, which does not appear to be due to chance. However, other possible explanations of this association include the following: potential biases such as case-control selection (e.g., comparability of antecedent illness), information gathering (e.g., based on recall), and confounding (e.g., indications for salicylate use).

Can Reye's syndrome cause jaundice?

Reye's syndrome should be suspected in a child who, during or while recovering from a viral illness (most commonly chicken pox or influenza), unexpectedly develops repetitive vomiting and altered behavior such as lethargy, confusion, irritability, or aggressiveness. Neither fever nor jaundice is usually present.

Does Reye's syndrome cause increased intracranial pressure?

While the encephalopathy of Reye's syndrome is not always associated with increased intracranial pressure, such elevations frequently complicate the care of patients in coma. In lieu of specific treatment of the encephalopathy, much effort has been directed to the control of increased intracranial pressure.

Can salicylates cause Reye's syndrome?

Since salicylates have been given to children with illnesses predisposing to Reye's syndrome without adverse effect, and cases of Reye's syndrome have occurred in which salicylates had not been administered, salicylates alone cannot be responsible for the development of Reye's syndrome.

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Overview

Symptoms

Causes

Risk Factors

Medically reviewed by
Dr. Juhi Mehrotra
Your provider will work with you to develop a care plan that may include one or more of these treatment options.
Treatment of Reye’s syndrome requires hospitalization. The healthcare specialists closely monitor the patient in the hospital.
Medication

Antiemetic: To reduce vomiting.

Ondansetron


Ammonia detoxifying agents: To reduce the level of ammonia.

Lactulose


Diuretics: To decrease the intracranial pressure.

Mannitol


Anticonvulsants: To control seizures.

Phenytoin

Therapy

Intravenous therapy:To correct fluid and electrolyte imbalances.

Nutrition

Foods to eat:

  • Parenteral nutrition

Foods to avoid:

NA

Specialist to consult

Critical care physician
Specializes in diagnosis and management of life-threatening conditions that may require sophisticated organ support and invasive monitoring.
Gastroenterologist
Specializes in the digestive system and its disorders.
Pediatrician
Specializes in the health of children, including physical, behavioral, and mental health issues

Complications

  • Reye's (Reye) syndrome is a rare but serious condition that causes swelling in the liver and brain. Reye's syndrome most often affects children and teenagers recovering from a viral infection, most commonly the flu or chickenpox. Signs and symptoms such as confusion, seizures and loss of consciousness require emergency treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment of Reye's syndrome …
See more on mayoclinic.org

Prevention

  • In Reye's syndrome, a child's blood sugar level typically drops while the levels of ammonia and acidity in his or her blood rise. At the same time, the liver may swell and develop fatty deposits. Swelling may also occur in the brain, which can cause seizures, convulsions or loss of consciousness. The signs and symptoms of Reye's syndrome typically appear about three to fiv…
See more on mayoclinic.org

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