Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Spurt in Pneumonia cases in summer surprises docs
Karthikeyan Hemalatha, TNN | May 2, 2011, 12.29am IST
CHENNAI: City paediatricians are surprised by the rise in the last three months in cases of pneumonia, a respiratory illness they usually don't see until winter. The number of cases being reported at several children's hospitals in the city now is similar to that seen in the flu season in November and December.
On Sunday, at the Dr MS Ramakrishna Memorial Endowment Oration and talk on protocols and problem-solving in paediatrics, Dr S K Kabra, paediatric pulmolonologist from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said the lung infection, which is curable, kills 1.6 million children, including 1.4 lakh Indian kids, every year.
The incidence of the illnesss has been increasing several fold in the past few years. Doctors at the Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital, which organised the lecture, couldn't agree more. Between March 2010 and March 2011, there saw a two-fold increase in the number of children with pneumonia at the hospital. In the last one year, 296 children were detected with pneumonia. "We see at least three cases every week in the hospital. That's how much we saw in peak winter last year. In most cases, the lung infection is community-acquired," said Dr Janani Sankar, senior consultant, Kanchi Kamakoti Child Trust Hospital.
There are no studies to point out scientific reasons for the sudden spurt this summer. Doctors say the change in holiday patterns and summer camps where children are in close contact with one other could be one reason for the high infection rate. They are most likely to catch the infection in crowded places where children inhale these baceria or virus in the air.
Another reason could be the sudden rain during summer. "Summer showers along with high temperatures make children more vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections," says Dr A. Parthasarathy, Professor of Paediatrics, MGR Medical College.
Community-acquired pneumonia is preventable. Immunization against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia. Even if children get it they can be cured in three days with simple antibiotics. Some would rarely require treatment at intensive care unit. "Fortunetly, we don't have drug-resistant pneumonia. Simple antibiotics can cure it," Dr Kabra said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...summer-surprises-docs/articleshow/8137733.cms
Karthikeyan Hemalatha, TNN | May 2, 2011, 12.29am IST
CHENNAI: City paediatricians are surprised by the rise in the last three months in cases of pneumonia, a respiratory illness they usually don't see until winter. The number of cases being reported at several children's hospitals in the city now is similar to that seen in the flu season in November and December.
On Sunday, at the Dr MS Ramakrishna Memorial Endowment Oration and talk on protocols and problem-solving in paediatrics, Dr S K Kabra, paediatric pulmolonologist from All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said the lung infection, which is curable, kills 1.6 million children, including 1.4 lakh Indian kids, every year.
The incidence of the illnesss has been increasing several fold in the past few years. Doctors at the Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital, which organised the lecture, couldn't agree more. Between March 2010 and March 2011, there saw a two-fold increase in the number of children with pneumonia at the hospital. In the last one year, 296 children were detected with pneumonia. "We see at least three cases every week in the hospital. That's how much we saw in peak winter last year. In most cases, the lung infection is community-acquired," said Dr Janani Sankar, senior consultant, Kanchi Kamakoti Child Trust Hospital.
There are no studies to point out scientific reasons for the sudden spurt this summer. Doctors say the change in holiday patterns and summer camps where children are in close contact with one other could be one reason for the high infection rate. They are most likely to catch the infection in crowded places where children inhale these baceria or virus in the air.
Another reason could be the sudden rain during summer. "Summer showers along with high temperatures make children more vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections," says Dr A. Parthasarathy, Professor of Paediatrics, MGR Medical College.
Community-acquired pneumonia is preventable. Immunization against Hib, pneumococcus, measles and whooping cough is the most effective way to prevent pneumonia. Even if children get it they can be cured in three days with simple antibiotics. Some would rarely require treatment at intensive care unit. "Fortunetly, we don't have drug-resistant pneumonia. Simple antibiotics can cure it," Dr Kabra said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...summer-surprises-docs/articleshow/8137733.cms