Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Of 26 H1N1-infected pregnant women, Sassoon saves 14
Umesh Isalkar, TNN, Aug 3, 2010, 05.37am IST
PUNE: Since April 2009, of the 26 H1N1-infected women admitted to the isolation ward of the Sassoon general hospital, 14 were saved along with their babies. This by itself is quite an uphill task, say doctors, adding that the other 12 did not survive due to delayed administration of Tamiflu.
Speaking to TOI on Monday, gynaecologist Pradip Sambarey, head of the gynaecology department at the Sassoon hospital, said, "Of the 26 pregnant women diagnosed with H1N1 flu, as many as 14 were saved along with their babies. The other 12 died since they were terminally ill by the time they were brought to our hospital. They were not given Tamiflu in time." All the 26 women were in the age group of 20 to 25 years, he added.
Among the 14 infected expecting mothers, three delivered babies through the caesarean section. "Conducting a C section on an infected woman can be potentially dangerous for doctors attending to her at the time of delivery. The chances of contracting the infection is very high in C section," said Sambarey. "Also, of the 26 infected women we treated at the hospital, most were anaemic, which further complicated their condition."
There seem to be two reasons for the death toll among H1N1-infected pregnant women, he said. "The first is the altered immune status, making them particularly vulnerable to the virus. The second is that late pregnancy compromises lung function. If a pregnant woman gets pneumonia as a complication of the flu, it is particularly difficult to ensure that she gets enough oxygen," said senior gynaecologist Sanjay Gupte, president of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India. However, early initiation of medical treatment can make lot of difference, he added.
"Since throat swabs of severely ill patients are only considered for test, we don't have the data of the total number of positive cases in pregnant women in the state. Suspected cases are administered Tamiflu without going for the test," said a state health official.
"In such cases, we are fighting to save two lives of the mother and the child. Pregnancy itself is a co-morbid condition, because it is a sort of stress to the mother. Besides, any infection in pregnancy may lead to complications. Hence the early initiation of treatment is significant," said Gupte. Pregnant woman and breastfeeding mothers should go for inactivated injectible vaccine against the H1N1 influenza, he added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...omen-Sassoon-saves-14/articleshow/6249484.cms
Umesh Isalkar, TNN, Aug 3, 2010, 05.37am IST
PUNE: Since April 2009, of the 26 H1N1-infected women admitted to the isolation ward of the Sassoon general hospital, 14 were saved along with their babies. This by itself is quite an uphill task, say doctors, adding that the other 12 did not survive due to delayed administration of Tamiflu.
Speaking to TOI on Monday, gynaecologist Pradip Sambarey, head of the gynaecology department at the Sassoon hospital, said, "Of the 26 pregnant women diagnosed with H1N1 flu, as many as 14 were saved along with their babies. The other 12 died since they were terminally ill by the time they were brought to our hospital. They were not given Tamiflu in time." All the 26 women were in the age group of 20 to 25 years, he added.
Among the 14 infected expecting mothers, three delivered babies through the caesarean section. "Conducting a C section on an infected woman can be potentially dangerous for doctors attending to her at the time of delivery. The chances of contracting the infection is very high in C section," said Sambarey. "Also, of the 26 infected women we treated at the hospital, most were anaemic, which further complicated their condition."
There seem to be two reasons for the death toll among H1N1-infected pregnant women, he said. "The first is the altered immune status, making them particularly vulnerable to the virus. The second is that late pregnancy compromises lung function. If a pregnant woman gets pneumonia as a complication of the flu, it is particularly difficult to ensure that she gets enough oxygen," said senior gynaecologist Sanjay Gupte, president of the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Societies of India. However, early initiation of medical treatment can make lot of difference, he added.
"Since throat swabs of severely ill patients are only considered for test, we don't have the data of the total number of positive cases in pregnant women in the state. Suspected cases are administered Tamiflu without going for the test," said a state health official.
"In such cases, we are fighting to save two lives of the mother and the child. Pregnancy itself is a co-morbid condition, because it is a sort of stress to the mother. Besides, any infection in pregnancy may lead to complications. Hence the early initiation of treatment is significant," said Gupte. Pregnant woman and breastfeeding mothers should go for inactivated injectible vaccine against the H1N1 influenza, he added.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...omen-Sassoon-saves-14/articleshow/6249484.cms