Alyssa McBean's recent bout with pneumonia rattled mother Danelle, who is an ER nurse.
"Very different, when you're on the other side of the fence," Danelle Galt-McBean told Ivanhoe. "It's easy to take care of people. It's not easy to be taken care of."
Dehydration dried-out Alyssa's veins, making an IV impossible. Peter Antevy, M.D., from Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Miami, Fla., turned to Hylenex for help.
"We have the ability to give fluids by placing the fluids right into the skin," Dr. Antevy told Ivanhoe.
The medication is injected into a child's back, beneath the skin -- allowing the body to absorb fluids faster.
It's good news for the 1.5 million dehydrated kids visiting ERs each year.
"People, when they first hear about this concept, question, 'Could it really be that easy?'" Dr. Antevy said.
Studies show it takes two minutes to start Hylenex, which fully rehydrates a patient in 2.5 hours. A standard IV starts working in 30 minutes and takes 5.5 hours to fully rehydrate the same patient.
Experts say use could increase staff efficiency and cut down wait time in the ER. Also, doctors wouldn't have to search for veins in a child's neck or thigh.
Full FDA approval of the Hylenex drug could come as soon as early next year.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Maricar Cabral
Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital
mcabral@mhs.net
