My 21 month old niece just had open heart surgery about 2 weeks ago. She had a full heart repair done. We almost lost her but are now taking very small baby steps torwards getting better. The question I have is she has these smooth, flat red spots on her hands. She is getting more as time goes on. The ones on her thumbs by her nails have a purple tint to them. They aren't oozing anything. They aren't dry. Her doctors don't know what they are from and I can't find anything on the web. I am just looking for possible causes. So what could this possibly be?
fyi: my name isn't for adolf hitler! It is for my grandfather
2006-09-15 20:26:49 · 5 answers · asked by hitleridol 2 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Skin Conditions
She is still on the breathing tube. She has no splinters or family that have skin problems.
2006-09-15 20:40:12 · update #1
They keep taking blood to check for stuff but find nothing.
2006-09-15 20:41:24 · update #2
(1) Coagulation on the heart valves -> embolic spots
Does she have little splinter things in her fingernails?
Does she have tummy pains?
Have the doctors done an ECHOcardiograph to see if she is developing clotting on the valves and sending little showers of clot down into her hands?
(2) Petechial haemorrhages
Have the doctors checked her platelets and her coagulation studies?
Is she unwell from an infective type disease?
Is she drowsy? Does she have a fever? Does she have a headache? Does light bother her eyes?
Has she been exposed to anyone who has Neiserria meningitides (meningococcus) at the hospital?
Is there a family history of funny rashes and joint problems? Does she have funny rashes and joint problems?
2006-09-15 20:35:55 · answer #1 · answered by Orinoco 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
This one has me stumped. I'm looking at the information you've provided. You said the spots "aren't dry". Does this mean they're moist? Is the skin intact? The red and purple suggest to me bleeding under the skin. Either that or vascular congestion or cellulitis. Has a tissue biopsy been done? Is there any swelling or pain on touch? Any other symptoms or changes in your niece's behavior?
Okay, she's still intubated. Thanks for that.
2006-09-16 03:49:37 · answer #2 · answered by TweetyBird 7 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Maybe she is having problems with the medicine and its bothering her circulatory system
2006-09-16 17:33:31 · answer #3 · answered by Maimee 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
make sure they rule out any possible allergies anything from antibiotics to latex.
2006-09-16 04:26:26 · answer #4 · answered by blondambition 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Ask her nurses.
2006-09-16 03:58:23 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋