On December 19, Sebbe Atleström, aged 2, fell off the couch and got a small cut on his eyebrow that had to be taped up in the emergency room. But it is only when the family is back home again that Sebbe’s condition worsens. The wound had become infected by invasive group A streptococci, which is currently increasing in Sweden.
– Once we got to the hospital and I realized that it was so serious, then I was just very worried about Sebbe’s condition and how badly this infection had spread, says Sebbe’s mother Emma Atleström to TV4 Nyheterna.
Quickly falling ill
Just hours after the first visit to the emergency room, the family is back home and then Sebbe gets a 39-degree fever and his eye becomes so swollen that he can’t open his eyelid in the end.
The parents call the national number for healthcare advice 1177. In three phone calls over the next 24 hours, the assessment is made that the wound and the fever are not connected and that Sebbe should be given antipyretics.
When Sebbe’s general condition continues to worsen, the parents defy 1177’s self-care advice and return to the emergency room. There he immediately receives antibiotics intravenously. After a bacterial culture, doctors were able to determine that the wound had become infected with group A streptococcus – the type of streptococcus that causes the most serious infections in humans.
– What would have happened if we had gone to bed to sleep during the night? What would have happened if we had waited until the next day? says Emma Atleström.
FHM: The infections more than ever
The number of cases of invasive group A streptococci reached the highest figure so far in 2023. According to the Public Health Agency’s statistics, cases increased by 354 percent from the previous year. And the culprit in the drama is the corona pandemic, according to the authority.
– This is probably due to the fact that during the pandemic we had few cases of streptococci in general. It is above all the milder cases. Then the immunity has not really been maintained, but has deteriorated during that time. Then there is a possibility, when the immunity is worse, that we get more cases, says state epidemiologist Magnus Gisslén who is also a doctor and professor of infectious diseases.
“Seek healthcare immediately”
Sebbe Atleström has been allowed to return home after three operations during a week-long hospital stay in the children’s intensive care unit. He has now started playing again and will make a full recovery as he received the right care in time when his parents took him to the hospital.
In the Jämtland Härjedalen region, the family’s call to 1177 is to be investigated as a deviation according to their routines. At the same time, the Public Health Authority now urges healthcare providers to be a little extra vigilant and that you as a patient should immediately seek care in case of suspected infection.
– The important thing is that if you become seriously ill, that you become generally affected and unwell, that you should contact the healthcare system immediately and seek medical care immediately and that you get quick help, says Magnus Gisslén.
FACTS: Invasive streptococcal infections
• Group A streptococci (gas) is the type of streptococci that causes the most infections and the most serious infections in humans.
• They can, for example, lead to strep throat, scarlet fever, rose fever, swine pox, blood poisoning and soft tissue infections.
• The best way to prevent spread is good hygiene, for example in preschools.
• The incubation period is between one and three days. The diagnosis is made via a rapid test, culture or by detecting the bacteria’s genetic material.
• The fact that a person has group A streptococcus is not in itself enough to initiate treatment. More severe throat infections, skin or soft tissue infections are treated with antibiotics.
• Patients infected with invasive group A streptococcus, on the other hand, need immediate care. Then, for example, respiratory or kidney dialysis care may be required.
• Only the invasive group A streptococci are notifiable according to the Infection Control Act.
Source: Public Health Agency