Two-Year-Old Girl Hospitalized in Jerusalem with Rare Flu Complication
A two-year-old girl was admitted to the pediatric ICU at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem with a rare influenza complication causing severe hyponatremia. Doctors report her condition is now stable.
A two-year-old girl with no underlying medical conditions has been hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem due to a rare complication from influenza. The toddler began experiencing seizures after suffering from a fever and frequent vomiting for about a day at home.
According to the hospital, the child had received her routine childhood vaccinations but had not been vaccinated against the flu. During the 24 hours prior to her admission, she refused to eat and consumed large quantities of water. After suffering a seizure, she was rushed to the pediatric emergency department at Shaare Zedek, where she subsequently tested positive for influenza.
A Rare Complication Causing Severe Sodium Drop
Dr. Giora Weiser, head of the pediatric emergency department at Shaare Zedek, who treated the girl alongside resident Dr. Harel Monish, explained that the patient was diagnosed with SIADH syndrome. In this condition, the body secretes excessive amounts of the antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which regulates water retention in the kidneys.
"In such a situation, when the hormone is overexpressed, the kidneys reabsorb more water instead of excreting it through urine. Consequently, body water increases relative to sodium levels, leading to hyponatremia—a critically low sodium concentration in the blood that can trigger seizures, a severe symptom that can be life-threatening without prompt medical intervention,» Dr. Weiser explained.
He noted that treatment for this syndrome involves restricting fluid intake to reduce excess water in the body, once other causes such as dehydration are ruled out.
Condition Stabilizing and Call for Vaccination
Dr. Amir Zilka, a senior physician in the pediatric intensive care unit at Shaare Zedek, reported that the girl's condition is improving. "The girl's condition is stable and she is showing signs of improvement,» he said, adding that while SIADH syndrome is a known influenza complication seen occasionally, the severity observed in this case is rare.
Dr. Zilka emphasized the critical importance of receiving the annual influenza vaccine. "While adherence to routine vaccinations is essential, the need for an annual seasonal flu shot is challenging, yet it remains the best protection against influenza, which can lead to severe and even life-threatening damage,» he stressed.
According to Shaare Zedek Medical Center data, ten influenza patients are currently hospitalized, with three of them receiving treatment in intensive care units. This marks the highest number of flu admissions recorded at the hospital since the beginning of the current flu season.
