Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Suspected patient of swine flu expires
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Muhammad Qasim
Rawalpindi
Twenty-year-old Mehram Jan, a female patient suspected of suffering from swine flu, expired at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) here on Thursday afternoon. Two other patients ? 50-year-old Razia and 14-year-old Falvaja ? are receiving treatment for similar symptoms at Medical Unit I of the hospital for the last five days.
Mehram Jan was brought to the BBH from Rawalakot, AJK, on January 22. On suspicion of swine flu, her sample was sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) on Thursday morning; however, NIH is yet to confirm her diagnosis.
Razia, a resident of Rawalpindi?s Tench Bhata, was admitted to the BBH on January 24 with fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and pains. ?Doctors suspected her as a patient of swine flu on Thursday and have sent her sample to NIH for confirmation,? BBH Chief Dr. Asif Qadir Mir informed ?The News? on Friday.
Falvaja, an Afghan national, is also under treatment in the hospital for five days; however, it was only on Thursday that doctors suspected her as suffering swine flu. ?Her sample has also been sent to the NIH for confirmation,? said Dr. Mir. Confirmatory reports in all the three cases are still awaited. However, both the suspected patients are stable and out of danger.
Before these three suspected cases which have been reported in a row, the BBH had not received any case of the infection. However, on December 17 last year, Tabassum ? a confirmed patient of swine flu ? expired at the Holy Family Hospital. She was confirmed positive for swine flu two days after her death. The patient was initially declared negative following a nasal swab test; however, later on, an examination of her tracheal swab and lung secretion confirmed her diagnosis with swine flu. She was taken to the HFH from Sadiqabad.
Reports of suspected swine flu cases have once again triggered the need to enhance public health education on the subject. Persons with symptoms like those experienced in case of upper and lower respiratory tract infections must consult a qualified doctor.
Generally, the clinical symptoms of swine flu are similar to seasonal human flu such as high fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and pains, headache, chills and fatigue. Although these infections are mostly self-limiting, severe pneumonia and death may occur at times.
Talking about preventive measures, Dr. Mir said that it is important to avoid contact with people with flu-like symptoms; such people should cover their mouth and nose and try to remain in isolation.
Director Accident and Emergency at BBH Dr. Muhammad Mujeeb Khan recommended thorough washing of hands with soap and water after coming into contact with a suspected patient. ?And if you feel unwell, have high fever, cough and/or sore throat, stay at home and keep away from work, school or crowds as much as possible,? he advised. He advised against the use of antibiotics as they do not work against viruses. ?The ill person should, instead, consult a qualified doctor or health care provider,? he concluded.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=221639
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Muhammad Qasim
Rawalpindi
Twenty-year-old Mehram Jan, a female patient suspected of suffering from swine flu, expired at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) here on Thursday afternoon. Two other patients ? 50-year-old Razia and 14-year-old Falvaja ? are receiving treatment for similar symptoms at Medical Unit I of the hospital for the last five days.
Mehram Jan was brought to the BBH from Rawalakot, AJK, on January 22. On suspicion of swine flu, her sample was sent to the National Institute of Health (NIH) on Thursday morning; however, NIH is yet to confirm her diagnosis.
Razia, a resident of Rawalpindi?s Tench Bhata, was admitted to the BBH on January 24 with fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and pains. ?Doctors suspected her as a patient of swine flu on Thursday and have sent her sample to NIH for confirmation,? BBH Chief Dr. Asif Qadir Mir informed ?The News? on Friday.
Falvaja, an Afghan national, is also under treatment in the hospital for five days; however, it was only on Thursday that doctors suspected her as suffering swine flu. ?Her sample has also been sent to the NIH for confirmation,? said Dr. Mir. Confirmatory reports in all the three cases are still awaited. However, both the suspected patients are stable and out of danger.
Before these three suspected cases which have been reported in a row, the BBH had not received any case of the infection. However, on December 17 last year, Tabassum ? a confirmed patient of swine flu ? expired at the Holy Family Hospital. She was confirmed positive for swine flu two days after her death. The patient was initially declared negative following a nasal swab test; however, later on, an examination of her tracheal swab and lung secretion confirmed her diagnosis with swine flu. She was taken to the HFH from Sadiqabad.
Reports of suspected swine flu cases have once again triggered the need to enhance public health education on the subject. Persons with symptoms like those experienced in case of upper and lower respiratory tract infections must consult a qualified doctor.
Generally, the clinical symptoms of swine flu are similar to seasonal human flu such as high fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and pains, headache, chills and fatigue. Although these infections are mostly self-limiting, severe pneumonia and death may occur at times.
Talking about preventive measures, Dr. Mir said that it is important to avoid contact with people with flu-like symptoms; such people should cover their mouth and nose and try to remain in isolation.
Director Accident and Emergency at BBH Dr. Muhammad Mujeeb Khan recommended thorough washing of hands with soap and water after coming into contact with a suspected patient. ?And if you feel unwell, have high fever, cough and/or sore throat, stay at home and keep away from work, school or crowds as much as possible,? he advised. He advised against the use of antibiotics as they do not work against viruses. ?The ill person should, instead, consult a qualified doctor or health care provider,? he concluded.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=221639