In The Hand Of God
The grandmother brings the boy to a hospital in the Nigerian city of Ile-Ife, because of it for several days, attacks of plagues. About four to five times per day, the boy’s body twitches uncontrollably, it shakes him vigorously. The consciousness has not lost the child in the past.
The team of Doctors to Oluwasola Julius Oke asks whether the occupies five-year-old drugs, whose possible side effects seizures. This is not the case. With an electroencephalogram, the Doctors examine the brain activity of the young, everything seems normal. In the blood of the child, the physicians are looking for Malaria parasites, because seizures are one of the possible symptoms of the disease. But the Tests are negative. Other blood values, including Calcium and sodium, are in the normal range. During a neurological examination, the Doctors discover no abnormalities. You take the child as a bright and energetic true.
What is the discomfort? Still, the physicians have no clear answer.
Seizures, but no fall
First, you give the child a sedative, which also helps to counteract epileptic seizures – it is the active ingredient Diazepam, better known as Valium. But the treatment isn’t working. Also on the third day in the hospital, the Boy is plagued still by the wild Twitching of the reports, the doctors in the “Nigerian Medical Journal”.
The Doctors are considering whether the Boy might be so-called psychogenic seizures, has seizures. In these, the individual has no organic complaints, the cause of the seizures but are psychological.
However, it is striking that the five-year-old has several times a day seizures, however, not a single Time when you Go to crashes. Both in the case of epileptic as well as in the case of psychogenic seizures, an uncontrolled fall would be expected.
Therefore, consider whether the Boy is simulated maybe. A doctor has such a suspicion, he must proceed with confidence and caution and must not accuse the patient, in order to destroy the relationship of trust.
The doctors decide to test their acceptance in a playful way: you ask the boy, the spasmodic, twitching movements of the aware run. This shows that he can start the attacks at will and finish. Now it is clear: The child plays, the disease just.
Religious Trance
With further conservative issues, the physicians explore the Background. The grandmother takes the child to Church services, in which participants fall into a Trance and while you swirl and shake – religious messages to announce.
The Boy found these movements to be exciting, he says. Therefore, it may have made him fun to imitate you. Also, did it please him, that he enjoyed the full attention of his grandmother.
With which is the recommendation of the Doctors to send grandmother and grandson at home, do not tell you in the case report. You advise to your colleagues in case of suspicion that a Patient has symptoms only pretends to be to be very careful how you discuss this with the person Concerned. They emphasize how important it is to accuse patients or to condemn.
