eMedicine Specialties > Pediatrics: General Medicine > Parasitology

Fascioliasis: Follow-up

Author: Robert W Tolan Jr, MD, Chief, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Jan 22, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

  • The condition of the patient with fascioliasis determines inpatient care versus outpatient care.

Further Outpatient Care

  • No particular outpatient care is required once treatment is successfully completed.

Transfer

  • Transfer is necessary only when specialized services or care (see Consultations) are unavailable.

Deterrence/Prevention

  • Fascioliasis can be prevented through public education about avoiding consumption of contaminated water plants, water, and raw liver.

Complications

  • Severe anemia and, less commonly, pancreatitis, occur in children more frequently than in adults.
  • Rare complications include ectopic foci of infection, hemoperitoneum, subcapsular hematoma, hepatic mass, cholecystitis, ascending cholangitis, hemobilia from ulceration of the biliary epithelium, gallstones, and sclerosing cholangitis.

Prognosis

  • Prognosis is excellent with adequate therapy.

Patient Education

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • Failure to consider the diagnosis for patients who may have had exposure to fluke worms
 


More on Fascioliasis

Overview: Fascioliasis
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Fascioliasis
Treatment & Medication: Fascioliasis
Follow-up: Fascioliasis
Multimedia: Fascioliasis
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

fascioliasis, abdominal pain, airway obstruction, ascending cholangitis, biliary colic, cattle, dysphagia, Fasciola gigantica, F gigantica, Fg, Fasciola hepatica, F hepatica, Fh, foreign body sensation, halzoun (Lebanese), hepatomegaly, jaundice, liver fluke, marrerra (Sudanese), pancreatitis, parasitic infection, pharyngitis, sashimi, severe anemia, sheep liver fluke, sheep liver fluke disease, subcutaneous nodules

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Robert W Tolan Jr, MD, Chief, Division of Allergy, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, The Children's Hospital at Saint Peter's University Hospital; Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Drexel University College of Medicine
Robert W Tolan Jr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association, American Society for Microbiology, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Phi Beta Kappa, and Physicians for Social Responsibility
Disclosure: GlaxoSmithKline Honoraria Speaking and teaching; MedImmune Honoraria Consulting; MedImmune Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Merck Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Novartis Honoraria Speaking and teaching; sanofi pasteur Grant/research funds Unrestricted research grant; sanofi pasteur  Consulting; sanofi pasteur Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Tap Honoraria Speaking and teaching; Baxter Healthcare Honoraria Speaking and teaching

Medical Editor

Glenn J Fennelly, MD, MPH, Director, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Jacobi Medical Center; Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Glenn J Fennelly, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Mary L Windle, PharmD, Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy, Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Pfizer Inc Stock Investment from financial planner; Avanir Pharma Stock Investment from financial planner ; WebMD Salary and stock Employment and investment from financial planner

Managing Editor

Martin Weisse, MD, Program Director, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, West Virginia University
Martin Weisse, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Ambulatory Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics, New York University School of Medicine
Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP is a member of the following medical societies: Ambulatory Pediatric Association, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Society of Hospital Medicine
Disclosure: Baxter Honoraria Consulting; Pfizer Honoraria Consulting

Chief Editor

Russell W Steele, MD, Head, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ochsner Children's Health Center; Clinical Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Tulane University School of Medicine
Russell W Steele, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Association of Immunologists, American Pediatric Society, American Society for Microbiology, Infectious Diseases Society of America, Louisiana State Medical Society, Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society, Society for Pediatric Research, and Southern Medical Association
Disclosure: None None None

 
 
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