Girl, eight, wrongly told she had a nut allergy ‘was left fighting for her life in hospital after doctors failed to spot she had toxic shock syndrome’
- Gabriella Bondi diagnosed with allergic reaction after suffering severe dry skin
- But within days youngster began losing her hair and breaking out in a sore rash
- Contracted toxic shock syndrome which ravaged organs and nearly killed her
A girl was left fighting for her life when a bacterial infection misdiagnosed as a nut allergy ravaged her organs.
Gabriella Bondi, eight, started experiencing severe dry skin last August, something doctors assumed was a mild allergic reaction.
But within days the youngster, from Colorado, began to lose her hair as a painful red rash broke out across her body.
Her mother Christine Bondi-Cerrato, 35, took her to her local emergency department where she was diagnosed with life threatening toxic shock syndrome.
Doctors found the killer condition had been caused by her impetigo, which left her needing intravenous antibiotics to kill the bacteria in her bloodstream.
Gabriella Bondi, from Colorado, started experiencing severe dry skin last August, something doctors assumed was a mild allergic reaction
But within days the youngster began to lose her hair as a painful red rash broke out across her body (shown on her legs)
She was taken to A&E where she was diagnosed with life threatening toxic shock syndrome
The rare condition, thought to affect one in 100,000 people, is caused by bacteria invading the bloodstream and releasing harmful toxins
The rare condition, thought to affect one in 100,000 people, is caused by bacteria invading the bloodstream and releasing harmful toxins.
Once in the bloodstream, the toxins are pumped to the organs where they start to attack them.
It also kills skin tissue, causing some sufferers to break out in a blotchy rash across their body.
Mrs Bondi-Cerrato is now sharing photographs of her daughter to raise awareness about the rare condition and how to spot it in its early stages.
The support worker said: ‘At first I thought she’d eaten something she was allergic to.
‘The paediatrician we saw put her on Benadryl and simply diagnosed a suspected food allergy.
‘He sent us home with hopes that she would feel better. But by late that evening, her face had gotten worse and suddenly – in a matter of mere hours, her whole body was covered in a red rash that was red and painful.
‘Her armpits looked like she almost had a sunburn. We tried to keep her comfortable throughout the night but by the next afternoon, it was clear that the rashes, swelling, and lesions were getting worse and not better.’
Gabriella puts on a brave face and takes her teddy with her as she’s loaded into the back of an ambulance
The youngster suffered from flu-like symptoms including headache, muscle aches, a sore throat and cough
Medics revealed Gabriella had contracted the condition after developing impetigo – a common skin infection that mainly affects infants and children
WHAT IS TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME?
Toxic shock syndrome is a highly dangerous bacterial infection – but it can be misdiagnosed because the symptoms are similar to other illnesses and because it is so rare.
It occurs when usually harmless staphylococcus aureus or streptococcus bacteria, which live on the skin, invade the bloodstream and release dangerous toxins.
TSS’ prevalance is unclear but doctors have claimed it affects around one or two in every 100,000 women.
It has a mortality rate of between five and 15 per cent. And reoccurs in 30-to-40 per cent of cases.
Symptoms usually begin with a sudden high fever – a temperature above 38.9°C/102°F.
Within a few hours a sufferer will develop flu-like symptoms including headache, muscle aches, a sore throat and cough.
Nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, feeling faint, dizziness and confusion are also symptoms.
Women are most at risk of getting toxic shock syndrome during menstruation and particularly if they are using tampons, have recently given birth or are using an internal barrier contraceptive, such as a diaphragm.
While tampon boxes advise to change them between four to eight hours, it is common for women to forget and leave them in overnight.
Treatment may involve antibiotics to fight the infection, oxygen to help with breathing, fluids to prevent dehydration and organ damage, and medication to control blood pressure.
Dialysis may also be needed if the kidneys stop functioning.
In severe cases, surgery may be required to remove dead tissue. In rare incidences, it may be necessary to amputate the affected area.
To prevent TSS, women should use tampons with the lowest absorbency for their flow, alternate between a tampon and a sanitary towel, and wash their hands before and after insertion.
Tampons should also be changed regularly, as directed on the packaging – usually every four to eight hours.
She added: ‘In hospital she was diagnosed with scarlet fever and again sent home with medication. Within another 24 hours, Gabby was clawing at her skin and screaming.
‘I knew it was time to get back to the hospital as soon as possible. The doctor took one look at her and her history and decided that she needed transferring via ambulance to the main children’s hospital about 40 minutes away.
‘She was put on an IV started of powerful antibiotics but at the time she was suspecting something like staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, or toxic epidermal necrolysis.
‘Knowing whatever our Gabby had was potentially devastating and life changing left us so scared.’
After being placed on a drip of IV antibiotics, Gabriella was placed on oral antibiotics for a number of weeks.
Medics revealed she had contracted the condition after developing impetigo – a common skin infection that mainly affects infants and children.
Impetigo usually appears as red sores on the face, especially around the nose and mouth, and on hands and feet.
Mrs Bondi-Cerrato added: ‘It’s been a little over a year and while those first few months of recovery were very hard, because she lost a lot of her hair, had skin lesions and peeling across her entire body that lasted for months, she’s come a long way.
‘She still battles immunity issues and gets sick very easily. We eventually found out that Gabby’s toxic shock syndrome was caused by her impetigo infection, which was so incredibly mild and we never even would have thought for a second it could turn into something so life threatening or devastating.
‘Getting misdiagnosed time after time after time was just so hard and we felt so alone in trying to figure out what was happening to her. If we had waited much longer, the results could have been catastrophic.
‘Within 72 hours of the onset of the very first symptom, she was admitted and put on very powerful antibiotics, very likely saving her life.
‘She had some concerning heart and kidney symptoms upfront but never went into full organ failure, which we were so grateful for.’
She added: ‘You can see the skin flaking and peeling on her face. It was like this over her whole body.
‘If we had just accepted the food allergy diagnosis and not kept going back, Gabby probably wouldn’t be with us today.
‘Gabby’s long term prognosis is very good, but as she does begin menstruating, she is at very high risk of TSS recurring if she uses things like tampons or cups – it can even recur after a typical illness.
‘So we are always vigilant for checking her skin for any sign of redness, itching, or lesions.’
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