Pneumonia & the phantom click

[stepnstone]

Late in the evening I took in a 5-6 week old little girl. Besides how long she and a sibling could have been without momma they were only given some crackers, bread, few pieces of peach and a bowl of water. They essentially had been without formula/food for almost a week. She was dehydrated and starving, her sibling had already passed just hours before I got her.
The first day dealing with the obvious I thought I heard a click, or did I? I listened, nothing! Held her to my ear, nothing! Later in the day I thought I had heard it again. I listened to her when awake, I listened to her when asleep. I wasn't hearing it!
I questioned myself, am I just being paranoid? She's not lethargic, she's eating well, passes both when stimulated. How could this starved dehydrated baby even have pneumonia, I must be paranoid!
By the third time that same day when "I thought" I heard it again I knew it had to be more then paranoia, I went and got a stethoscope. There it was! What I couldn't hear with my own ears, through the stethoscope little girl was sounding like a burnt piston in an oil deprived engine!

Many times we see posts relating to and questioning pneumonia. We have heard things like; I think I heard clicking,
~ I hear a click every once in a while, ~ It's not all the time just now and again, ~ I heard it but now they're not doing it anymore...
The standard question; Do you hear it with every breath?
The standard reply; If it's pneumonia you would hear it with every breath.

Very often several posts later that same poster will come back on in a panic because their baby is now not eating, lethargic, and audibly clicking with each breath. For some, treatment comes too late.

I personally feel we need to rethink our analogy on hearing the click with every breath and explore the phantom click more in depth. Obviously the human ear is not infallible. Early detection before the appetite loss or lethargy sets in would be less taxing for the baby by eliminating a prolonged treatment.

[jbillings]

I'm so sorry Step! Do you think you caught it in time to save your little girl? That really makes me nervous! I've told my husband so many times, when he has said to me that he thinks Miller might have pneumonia, that if he wasn't hearing the clicking all the time not to be concerned! I think he has just always made noises tho because it's now a month later and he's still fine. I guess we all need to have a stethoscope on hand now! Luckily hubby is an EMT so we have one! :thumbsup

[CritterMom]

There are some rehabbers that treat the super starved/dehydrated ones - like this poor baby - prophylactically with abx when they come in - that is, they give them antibiotics as part of the protocol once hydrated...because this happens so often. My only contribution to how and why is that when starved, who KNOWS what they try to ingest...urine from sibs??anything really and in desperation, babies can and will aspirate themselves on anything.

[Scooterzmom]

Late in the evening I took in a 5-6 week old little girl. Besides how long she and a sibling could have been without momma they were only given some crackers, bread, few pieces of peach and a bowl of water. They essentially had been without formula/food for almost a week. She was dehydrated and starving, her sibling had already passed just hours before I got her.
The first day dealing with the obvious I thought I heard a click, or did I? I listened, nothing! Held her to my ear, nothing! Later in the day I thought I had heard it again. I listened to her when awake, I listened to her when asleep. I wasn't hearing it!
I questioned myself, am I just being paranoid? She's not lethargic, she's eating well, passes both when stimulated. How could this starved dehydrated baby even have pneumonia, I must be paranoid!
By the third time that same day when "I thought" I heard it again I knew it had to be more then paranoia, I went and got a stethoscope. There it was! What I couldn't hear with my own ears, through the stethoscope little girl was sounding like a burnt piston in an oil deprived engine!

Many times we see posts relating to and questioning pneumonia. We have heard things like; I think I heard clicking,
~ I hear a click every once in a while, ~ It's not all the time just now and again, ~ I heard it but now they're not doing it anymore...
The standard question; Do you hear it with every breath?
The standard reply; If it's pneumonia you would hear it with every breath.

Very often several posts later that same poster will come back on in a panic because their baby is now not eating, lethargic, and audibly clicking with each breath. For some, treatment comes too late.

I personally feel we need to rethink our analogy on hearing the click with every breath and explore the phantom click more in depth. Obviously the human ear is not infallible. Early detection before the appetite loss or lethargy sets in would be less taxing for the baby by eliminating a prolonged treatment.

:goodpost

[TubeDriver]

Interesting. Perhaps every rehabber should invest in a stethoscope? After all, an MD uses this for a human who has much louder and larger respiration than a squirrel.

[stepnstone]

I'm so sorry Step! Do you think you caught it in time to save your little girl?

Absolutely, it has to be early stages to be so faint. Had I have waited until I heard it without the stethoscope in her present condition I may not be so optimistic.


There are some rehabbers that treat the super starved/dehydrated ones - like this poor baby - prophylactically with abx when they come in - that is, they give them antibiotics as part of the protocol once hydrated...because this happens so often.

Definetly something I will keep in mind in the future. :thankyou



My only contribution to how and why is that when starved, who KNOWS what they try to ingest...urine from sibs??anything really and in desperation, babies can and will aspirate themselves on anything.

I assume she may have aspirated herself with the bowl of water she was given.
Just like a kitten or puppy when you first put down a bowl of water or milk and they stick their face in it, blow bubbles, and come up spitting.


Interesting. Perhaps every rehabber should invest in a stethoscope? After all, an MD uses this for a human who has much louder and larger respiration than a squirrel.
Although I have to admit my hearing is somewhat challenged through industrial deafness from listening to the whine of saw blades 23 some odd years this is a very good point! :thumbsup
From here on out I personally plan to put the ol' stethoscope to any I take in regardless of condition. :oldwise This old dog can still be taught a few tricks!

[island rehabber]

VERY good post, step! I will bear this in mind with all new intakes from now on, and better safe than sorry. :thumbsup