Reye's Syndrome
In this condition factsheet:
The Facts on Reye's Syndrome
Reye's syndrome is an extremely serious acute condition that may attack all major organs of the body, but particularly the brain and liver. Rapid buildup of fatty deposits in the liver can cause liver failure, but what makes Reye's so dangerous is inflammation of the brain. Reye's syndrome usually affects children between 4 and 12 years of age, although it has also been observed in adults.
Fortunately, Reye's syndrome is very rare and becoming rarer. Most cases involve children who have taken acetylsalicylic acid* (ASA, e.g., Aspirin®) for the flu, another respiratory infection, or chickenpox. The number of cases each year has dropped dramatically since its peak at 555 cases in 1980 and is directly due to an increase in awareness to not give ASA or other products containing salicylates to children and adolescents.
Causes of Reye's Syndrome
Nobody knows exactly what causes Reye's syndrome. Most cases of Reye's syndrome occur after a viral infection such as chickenpox or influenza and are concentrated around the flu season, in late fall and winter.
The disease was first described in 1963, and since that time it has been noted that the vast majority of victims had been taking ASA or other products containing salicylates in the days before Reye's developed. Research has failed to find any other consistent risk factor other than the use of ASA in the presence of a viral infection, which increases the risk by as much as 35 times. We do know that Reye's syndrome is not contagious.
Symptoms and Complications of Reye's Syndrome
Reye's syndrome usually occurs during or after a viral infection involving the airways. In most cases, the viral infection and fever will already be fading, though occasionally Reye's appears just a few days into the infection.
The first symptom is continuous and violent vomiting and dry retching. The other clear warning sign is a change in mental status due to brain inflammation. In the early stages or in a milder case, lethargy and confusion are prominent. People may become aggressive, striking out at would-be helpers. In the final stages, muscles may become stiff or lose function, pupils remain dilated, and there may be seizures, loss of reflexes, difficulty breathing, and coma.
Although rare, Reye's syndrome should be considered if a child with an upper respiratory tract infection starts vomiting constantly and exhibits confusion or lack of responsiveness.
Other complications of Reye’s syndrome may be serious and include low blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, pancreatitis, blood clotting, bleeding, a buildup of ammonia in the blood, and the inability to regulate body temperature or electrolytes.
