Gastroenteritis hits population in the region

Islamabad : Gastroenteritis that is considered as one of the top 10 causes of death in Pakistan has been hitting population in the region and has taken shape of an epidemic as the number of patients with the problem is continuously on the rise.

Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that only one of the major public sector hospitals in the federal capital, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences has received well over 15,000 patients with gastroenteritis, an infection of stomach and intestine, in last one month. Over 4,000 of the patients reached PIMS last week.

Gastroenteritis, commonly known as gastro is a group of diseases caused by various viruses, bacteria, their toxins and parasites. The incidence of gastro is on the rise mainly because of consumption of unclean water and unhygienic food, the food contaminated by flies and dirty hands. Some other sources of gastrointestinal diseases are improperly prepared food, reheated meat dishes, seafood, and dairy and bakery products, said Deputy Director at PIMS Dr. Waseem Ahmed Khawaja while talking to ‘The News’.

He said nearly 10 per cent of the patients who reached PIMS with gastro were suffering from severe dehydration and needed multiple drips, intravenous fluids. It was so because majority of patients were unaware of the steps that should be taken immediately after incidence of gastro, he said. It is important that gastroenteritis is number one cause of presentation to hospitals in the country in summer particularly in monsoon and it is mainly because of lack of awareness among public on how to avoid gastro like infections. Poor sanitation is one of the main causes behind spread of gastro in the region, said Dr. Khawaja.

He added that reporting of over 15,000 adult patients with gastro in one month at PIMS is alarming and the more alarming fact is that PIMS received over 2,500 patients in its emergency department in a month with complications of hepatitis including vomiting, diarrhoea and unconsciousness.

In general, gastroenteritis is water and food borne infections whose main symptoms include vomiting, fever, severe diarrhoea with dehydration and lowering of blood pressure. To avoid complications, patients should start taking ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts) after the start of vomiting and diarrhoea. Children who are not given ORS immediately after contracting gastro suffer from dehydration, said Dr. Khawaja.