Reye’s Syndrome Now a Rarity Thanks to Education, Changes in Treatment

Reye’s syndrome, a rare but deadly disorder usually caused by giving aspirin to children with flu or chickenpox, has almost disappeared, thanks to a public education campaign, researchers report in today’s New England Journal of Medicine. From a high of 555 cases among American children in 1980, doctors have reported no more than 36 cases per year since 1987, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reye’s syndrome has become so rare that children with typical symptoms--vomiting, confusion, delirium and other mental symptoms--should be tested for various rare, inherited enzyme deficiencies that can mimic it, the researchers said.

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Compiled by Times medical writer Thomas H. Maugh II