Two more die of dengue in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Another two people died of dengue fever in the provincial capital while 249 more contracted the disease in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Health Department said on Tuesday.

The death toll from dengue fever reached 12 while the number of patients was put at 3,619.

One Lal Bacha, 60, admitted to the isolation ward at the Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) died after being diagnosed with dengue a few days back. The deceased belonged to the dengue-hit Tehkal locality in Peshawar.

The dengue virus surfaced in Tehkal in the last week of July and later snowballed into an epidemic as the provincial government didn’t take timely steps to curb it.

The second patient Hafizullah, 25, hailing from Palosai village also died at KTH.

According to the Dengue Response Unit (DRU), 1,801 patients were taken to hospitals in KP on Tuesday of whom 1,794 were advised to undergo tests.

About 239 patients tested positive and 153 of them were admitted to hospitals. As usual, majority of the patients were brought to KTH.

Of the 1801 patients, 1012 were taken to KTH. All of them underwent investigation free of charge and 134 were found to be suffering from the virus.

The Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) received 287 patients with fever and symptoms close to dengue. However, 31 patients were diagnosed with dengue.

As per the DRU, 20 of the 150 patients, who were brought to the Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC), tested positive.

About 13 patients were diagnosed with dengue at the Kuwait Teaching Hospital in Peshawar. Rahman Medical Institute (RMI) reported one positive case.

Mardan reported five new cases, Buner eight, Mansehra four, Abbottabad two, Malakand two, Lower Dir five and Haripur two.

Though the government has taken notice of the dengue epidemic, still the entire focus is on Peshawar and this was the reason the districts were also reporting dengue cases.

Senior physician Dr Zafar Iqbal working at the Pulmonology Department of LRH advised people to use mosquito nets, mosquito repellents, spray in homes and wear long sleeves clothes.

“The patients should not panic. They should take paracetamol and drink lots of fluids. The complications arise due to leakage of fluids from blood vessels,” he pointed out.

He said test for diagnosis of dengue (dengue antibody) took time.

“A doctor may go for another test called NS1 antigen that appear quickly and can make diagnosis. All dengue patients don’t need to be hospitalised. Paracetamol for fever and adequate fluids intake at home is more appropriate,” he advised.

“If the patient is continually vomiting and is unable to drink or eat, he should be hospitalised. Fluids are needed for the body. It is leaking from your blood vessels. Your organs will not get enough circulation. Dizziness, low blood pressure and decrease urine output drowsiness, jaundice, bleeding or bruises or petechiae on the body.”

Dr Zafar Iqbal said clinicians at hospitals must not ignore the above symptoms and should admit patients with these symptoms.

“Resuscitating them adequately will avoid life-threatening hepatitis, kidney failure, inflammation in gallbladder and will protect other organs as well. Clinician and patients should not be afraid of decreasing platelets (white particle needed for clotting). Don’t give platelets if counts are more than 10,000 and if there is no bleeding. You may transfuse in case of bleeding or if count is less than 10,000. Platelet will recover in 7-10 days once infection is over,” explained Dr Zafar Iqbal.