Another 13 patients tested positive for dengue fever

Rawalpindi: As many as 13 patients have been tested positive for dengue fever at two of the three allied hospitals in town in last three weeks taking the total number of confirmed patients so far registered this year at the allied hospitals to 25 however, the trend at the time cannot be declared as an outbreak of the infection.

Data collected by ‘The News’ on Tuesday has revealed that in last 24 hours, Holy Family Hospital tested two patients positive for dengue fever while the other two teaching hospitals including Benazir Bhutto Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital did not receive any confirmed patient of the infection.

However as many as 10 patients of dengue fever including five confirmed patients and five suspected ones were undergoing treatment at the HFH and DHQ Hospital.

To date, the HFH received a total of 14 confirmed patients of dengue fever while as many as seven patients of the infection were undergoing treatment at the hospital of which one has been declared as a patient of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF). The DHF is considered as a rare complication of the infection, which is more fatal than dengue fever.

The DHQ this year, has received a total of 11 confirmed patients of dengue fever of which one suffering from DHF was undergoing treatment at the hospital along with two confirmed patients of the infection.

The cases so far registered at the allied hospitals in Rawalpindi have been considered as sporadic ones by a number of health experts though limited outbreak of the infection has been reported in Union Council Rawat in the federal capital from where 12 patients have already been tested positive. According to health experts, the more alarming factor this year is that out of 25 patients so far reported at the allied hospitals, as many as six were found with hemorrhagic manifestations.

It is important that the uncontrolled bleeding distinguishes DHF from uncomplicated dengue fever. Bleeding can occur from the gums, nose, intestine, or under the skin as bruises or spots of blood especially under a tourniquet. The liver is often enlarged. Patients can have rapid onset of marked drowsiness, lethargy or restlessness or the presence of shock as manifested by a rapid and weak pulse, low blood pressure and cold clammy skin. Such patients should be immediately referred to a good hospital for further management. Dengue Shock Syndrome can be a mortal illness and requires rapid and careful in-hospital management with assiduous correction and replacement of fluid, electrolytes, plasma and sometimes, fresh blood/platelets transfusions. Mortality from DHF ranges from 5 - 30% (in untreated native populations) and the highest risk is to infants under one year.

It is, however worth mentioning here that so far, the dengue fever has claimed no life in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.