Rare Flu Complication Lands Toddler in Jerusalem ICU

By דודי גרליץ

Translated & summarized from JDN by baba

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A two-year-old girl in Jerusalem was hospitalized in intensive care with a rare and severe complication of influenza, SIADH syndrome, after experiencing seizures. Doctors report her condition is stable and improving, though the severity is unusual. Shaare Zedek Medical Center is treating 10 flu patients, the highest number this season, with three in intensive care.

The story in 6 lines · by baba

A two-year-old girl in Jerusalem is hospitalized in intensive care due to a rare flu complication.
She was diagnosed with SIADH syndrome, causing dangerously low sodium levels and seizures.
Doctors describe the severity of her condition as exceptionally rare for this flu complication.
Shaare Zedek Medical Center is treating 10 flu patients, the highest number this season.
Three flu patients are currently in intensive care at Shaare Zedek.
The child had received routine vaccinations but not the seasonal flu shot.

Rare Flu Complication Lands Toddler in Jerusalem ICU — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

A two-year-old girl, with no prior medical conditions, has been hospitalized in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem due to a severe and rare complication of influenza. The child, who had received routine vaccinations but not the seasonal flu shot, suffered from a fever and multiple vomiting episodes at home for 24 hours. After experiencing seizures, she was urgently taken to the hospital's pediatric emergency room, where she tested positive for the virus. Dr. This causes the kidneys to reabsorb too much water instead of excreting it, leading to diluted sodium levels in the blood (hyponatremia), which can result in seizures and a life-threatening situation. Dr. Amir Zilka, a senior physician in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, stated that the toddler's condition is stable and improving. He noted that while SIADH is a known potential complication of the flu, the severity observed in this case is exceptionally rare. Hospitals are reporting an increase in illness, with Shaare Zedek currently treating 10 flu patients, the highest number this season, including three in intensive care units.