Dr. Michael A. Meloni, MD

Have him come in out of the sun and heat. Lie down and rest. Hydrate him with GatorAde, water, or juice. Cool him gradually with cool (not cold or ice packs, which will induce shivering). If he is disoriented, hallucinating, or talking irrationally, it is important to take him to your physician or nearest emergency room.

Drinking a lot of water (or cranberry juice) will not make a serious UTI go away. If it is associated with severe abdominal pain and a fever there is always a chance it is not a UTI at all but some other abdominal infection or inflammation (acute appendicitis, colitis, diverticulitis, or pyelonephritis---to name a few possibilities.) If you are still experiencing the symptoms you described, see your doctor, or go to your closest ER, so they can hopefully make the correct diagnosis and treat you appropriately.

Be VERY concerned. I have personally seen a 2-3 year old die in an emergency department after ingesting a Tide pod. There is a very high risk of serious, if not life threatening, burns, scaring, and perforation of the mouth, esophagus, and stomach after ingesting a Tide pod.

It depends. If the fluid is in the lung tissue and air spaces, then diuretics (water pills) are used to push the kidney's to get rid of more water and salt and eventually the body absorbs the fluid in the lung tissue and air spaces and you will see your mother's condition improve. If the fluid is in the space between the lung and the chest wall and there is so much fluid there that it is making your Mother short of breath, then a catheter can be inserted into that pocket of fluid and the fluid can be drawn off using a large syringe or a vacuum bottle. Hope this helps. Good luck to both you and your mother.

Make sure the physicians accurately identify the source of the infection; and that your nephew is getting plenty of IV fluid. Antibiotics should be begun AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE