The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Doctors in a dilemma over A(H1N1) cases

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Friday, Jul 10, 2009
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Karnataka - Bangalore

Doctors in a dilemma over A(H1N1) cases

Staff Reporter

Doubts remain on the extent of stay of patients in a hospital and about quarantine

Bangalore: Almost two months after the fist H1N1 positive cases were reported in the city, the State health machinery has many doubts to be cleared.

This was revealed at an orientation programme on “Influenza A H1N1” organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases (RGICD) on Thursday.

The Medical Superintendent of a government hospital, which had handled six H1N1 cases, wanted to know how many days should a patient stay in hospital.

A junior doctor from RGICD was curious to know if all those who tend to the patient should be on chemoprophylaxis.

A nurse from the same institute asked whether she had to wear personal protection gear even if she was on chemoprophylaxis treatment.

“Three patients in our facility tested positive for three consecutive days after their treatment began.

After how many days should we discharge a positive case? While we have only six beds in our facility, we are getting several patients,” Medical Superintendent of Victoria Hospital B.G. Tilak said.

“Although we discharged four patients 10 days after they were admitted, I want to know if there are any guidelines on the number of days a patient should be quarantined?,” he asked.

Dr. Shivaraj A.L., an in-service postgraduate student at RGICD who has handled several positive cases, said the patient could be discharged seven days after they became asymptomatic.

Regional Director of the Union Health and Family Welfare Services Anbazhagan, RGICD director Shashidhar Buggi and Head of the Department of Neuro-Virology in NIMHANS V. Ravi, who cleared these doubts, said there was no need to panic.

Discharge

Replying to Dr. Tilak’s question, Dr. Anbazhagan said the Union Ministry of Health had circulated guidelines on treatment protocol and discharge policy for H1N1 patients. “With an increase in the number of H1N1 cases and with instances of several cases testing positive even after regular courses of treatment, the Ministry had communicated to the treating facilities to discharge patients only after the patients test negative.

“Patients, who respond to treatment after two or three days and become totally asymptomatic, should be discharged after five days of treatment,” he said.

Dr. Ravi said personal hygiene was a must to keep away the flu.

“The disease can be effectively treated and infection avoided if strict preventive steps such as washing your hands with soap and warm water are followed. Although there is no vaccine for the virus, the disease can be treated,” he said.

Saying the swine flu testing laboratory at NIMHANS would soon start functioning, Dr. Ravi said: “We did a few trial tests on July 1 and stopped after that because of short supply of testing kits. We will resume tests soon after we get the supply from the World Health Organisation (WHO),” he said.

Dr. Buggi said the 13-bed quarantine facility in the institute would be upgraded by adding more beds and providing air-conditioners. “Most of the 24 cases that we have treated tested negative within two days of treatment. There is no need to panic,” he said.

H. Paramesh from Lakeside and several other doctors participated in the programme that was inaugurated by Medical Education Secretary V. Umesh.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Malaysian citizen, who came from Malaysia a few days ago, has tested positive for H1N1 virus on Thursday.

He had reported voluntarily for screening at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases on Wednesday.

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