4.5-Year-Old Child’s White Blood Cell Count Abnormal: Possibilities of Leukemia or Sepsis and Treatment Recommendations

Question

The child is 4.5 years old and has been in good health until a month ago when they had a cold and were taking medication. The cold symptoms subsided, but the cough did not completely resolve; sometimes they would cough for several minutes consecutively at night. Lately, the child has been in good condition with occasional coughing. Last night before the nap, the child mentioned feeling a bit cold, which was not paid much attention to at the time. Suddenly in the middle of the night, I felt their body was very hot, and upon measuring their temperature, it was over 39 degrees Celsius. I gave them ibuprofen orally, and by 4 am, the temperature dropped to 38 degrees. In the morning, they only drank a little congee and then vomited everything. By 10 am, the temperature rose again to 39 degrees. I brought them to the hospital for a detailed blood check, where the white blood cell count was over 40,000. The doctor recommended hospitalization and is now receiving intravenous fluids. They will also undergo an abdominal ultrasound and chest X-ray shortly. We have not yet verified the source of the infection. Is it leukemia or sepsis?

Answer

Based on your test results, there is an infection present. However, it is unlikely to be leukemia at this point. As for sepsis, it is still not possible to make a definitive diagnosis. However, severe infection is certain. It is recommended to cooperate with the doctor for a thorough examination to find the specific cause and location of the infection. Blood cultures and drug sensitivity tests can be conducted to choose effective antibiotics based on the results for comprehensive systemic treatment.