Friday, February, 10, 2012

Yellow fever

Table of Contents

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for yellow fever. Treatment for symptoms can include:

  • Blood products for severe bleeding
  • Dialysis for kidney failure
  • Fluids through a vein (intravenous fluids)

Support Groups


Expectations (prognosis)

Yellow fever varies in severity. Severe infections with internal bleeding and fever (hemorrhagic fever) are deadly in up to half of cases.


Complications
  • Coma
  • Death
  • Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC)
  • Kidney failure
  • Liver failure
  • Parotitis
  • Secondary bacterial infections
  • Shock

Calling your health care provider

Get medical attention at least 10 - 14 days before traveling to an endemic area for yellow fever to find out whether you should be vaccinated against the disease.

Tell your health care provider right away if you or your child develop fever, headache, muscle aches, vomiting, or jaundice, especially if you have traveled to an area where yellow fever is known to occur.



Review Date: 12/01/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)