2 more kids in Caloocan victims of sepsis?

Health officials suspect that two children who died only days apart in Caloocan City may have died of sepsis after four more of their siblings were rushed to the hospital after showing similar symptoms yesterday.

The first victim’s death was initially reported as a case of suspected food poisoning. Local hospital authorities accepted the victim’s five siblings as cases of gastroenteritis until one of them later died, officially, of sepsis.

Sepsis is a current hot issue following the recent discovery of several newborn-deaths attributed to it at Rizal Medical Center in Pasig.

Health authorities, however, asked the public for calm as an epidemiological study and investigation on the incidents are underway to determine the two children’s cause of death.

Medical history showed Erwin Flava, 4, of Tala, Caloocan City, succumbed to severe dehydration caused by diarrhea and died at their home last Sunday, according to health authorities. Initially, family and relatives blamed food the children ingested earlier consisting of sautéed veggies (pinakbet) and fish.

Dr. Edgardo Javellonar, director of Jose Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center told The STAR yesterday that on the same day Erwin died, five more of his siblings were brought to the hospital due to gastroenteritis. The five were identified as Ednalyn, 6, Erica, 5, Roxanne, 2, Angel, 3 and Eloisa, 1.

Erica died on the afternoon of All Saints’ Day.

"People became alarmed when it was indicated in her death certificate that the cause of her death was not food poisoning but sepsis," said Javellonar.

Unconfirmed reports said two neighbors of the Flavas identified as Rosemarie Rescotido, 30 and her daughter Paula, were also rushed to the Bernardino General Hospital with the same symptoms. A check with the hospital on Zabarte Road in Camarin, Caloocan City, however, yielded negative result. An emergency room staff told The STAR there had been no such patients.

Javellonar sought to allay fears saying there should be no cause for panic as city health authorities and the Department of Health’s National Epidemiology Center are already investigating the reports. Results are expected to be announced soon, he said.

Javellonar added that pediatric specialists from the East Avenue Medical Center have also been invited to examine the other Flava children.

"Basically, we have administered replacement fluids and electrolytes intravenously (dextrose) to the patients to replace lost essential fluids," said Javellonar.

Javellonar said there are indications the deaths may have been caused by poor sanitation and hygiene. He said initial findings showed the Flavas have no toilet. Lack of toilets and clean water are still a basic problem in the community, residents told The STAR.

Dr. Eric Tayag, chief of the National Epidemiology Center, described sepsis as an overwhelming infection that can be acquired in the community or even in a hospital environment.

"In the hospital, it can come from basic procedures. Also through hand-to-hand transfer from dirty fingernails, or by blood transfusion. The result is bacteremia (blood poisoning caused by bacteria)," said Tayag.

Sepsis can be difficult to detect if it is community-acquired and can only be accurately determined in an autopsy and a review of the patient’ medical history, he said.

Sepsis could strike either newborns or adults, Tayag said. Meningococcemia is one example of septic infection.