sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
Following the pattern of a pandemic. First the pandemic illness sweeps the globe and weakens the populations. Then opportunistic illnesses take their toll on the survivors.
hat tip @ann_mcnitt
4 swine flu patients in Mumbai on life support; virus in the air, say doctors
Sumitra Debroy | TNN | Updated: Jul 21, 2022, 04:59 IST
At Bandra's Lilavati Hospital, two patients below the age of 50 years are on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy, considered the last resort and offered when even ventilatory support has failed. The hospital has five other patients admitted in wards with H1N1.
Pulmonologist Dr Prahlad Prabhudesai said a severe H1N1 infection badly affected the lungs of these patients on ECMO. "At least 50% of patients with flu-like symptoms are coming positive for H1N1. It can be said H1N1 is competing with Covid right now," he said.
The cases started to rise around three weeks ago, according to chest physician Dr Rajesh Sharma, who consults with H N Reliance Hospital. "These patients would come with high fever and all signs of upper respiratory tract infection. But when tested, they would be negative for Covid," he said, adding it is crucial to rightly diagnose swine flu as there are effective drugs available.
A delay in diagnosis could land some in serious trouble like one of his patients, who is currently on ECMO. The patient (45) came to the hospital with severe breathlessness, high fever and cough after seeing a local doctor. "H1N1 was not diagnosed for 10 days before he came to us with extremely bad lungs," Dr Sharma said. The patient is recovering but it would take a while. Dr Sharma has consulted in the case of another young H1N1 patient in the ICU in another hospital.
Last week, the state confirmed its first H1N1 2022 casualty, a 9-year-old girl from Talasari, Palghar, on July 10. In the city, no confirmed H1N1 death has been reported in the past three years, though there were 44 cases in 2020 and 64 in 2021.
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https://m-timesofindia-com.cdn.ampp...6583765007041&referrer=https://www.google.com
hat tip @ann_mcnitt
4 swine flu patients in Mumbai on life support; virus in the air, say doctors
Sumitra Debroy | TNN | Updated: Jul 21, 2022, 04:59 IST
At Bandra's Lilavati Hospital, two patients below the age of 50 years are on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapy, considered the last resort and offered when even ventilatory support has failed. The hospital has five other patients admitted in wards with H1N1.
Pulmonologist Dr Prahlad Prabhudesai said a severe H1N1 infection badly affected the lungs of these patients on ECMO. "At least 50% of patients with flu-like symptoms are coming positive for H1N1. It can be said H1N1 is competing with Covid right now," he said.
The cases started to rise around three weeks ago, according to chest physician Dr Rajesh Sharma, who consults with H N Reliance Hospital. "These patients would come with high fever and all signs of upper respiratory tract infection. But when tested, they would be negative for Covid," he said, adding it is crucial to rightly diagnose swine flu as there are effective drugs available.
A delay in diagnosis could land some in serious trouble like one of his patients, who is currently on ECMO. The patient (45) came to the hospital with severe breathlessness, high fever and cough after seeing a local doctor. "H1N1 was not diagnosed for 10 days before he came to us with extremely bad lungs," Dr Sharma said. The patient is recovering but it would take a while. Dr Sharma has consulted in the case of another young H1N1 patient in the ICU in another hospital.
Last week, the state confirmed its first H1N1 2022 casualty, a 9-year-old girl from Talasari, Palghar, on July 10. In the city, no confirmed H1N1 death has been reported in the past three years, though there were 44 cases in 2020 and 64 in 2021.
more...
https://m-timesofindia-com.cdn.ampp...6583765007041&referrer=https://www.google.com