Admitting early and discharging late has become the new pattern for management of dengue and to avoid deaths in Tamil Nadu.
If temperature brought on by fever is beyond 100F, parents are urged to admit their children to the Institute of Child Health, (ICH), The Times of India reported. An additional 100 beds have been created to battle against dengue and other seasonal fevers.
As of Wednesday, there were more than 156 children with fever, of whom 30 were diagnosed positive for dengue.
Health Minister C Vijayabaskar said that they don’t mind keeping children or adults in government hospitals on the first day of fever even if they are not showing signs of dengue as it helps them diagnose the viral disease early, start treatment and offer appropriate care.
Furthermore, according to him, if they do show symptoms of dengue or if they are diagnosed with the mosquito-borne disease, they are kept in a separate ward where there is intensive monitoring. There are cell counters by the bedside that will give results in just a few seconds. Staff nurses will ensure rehydration through the day.
The report said that the government has also started a post-febrile ward in all its hospitals. Patients admitted for dengue will be monitored for 48 hours after fever settles down.
Health secretary Beela Rajesh revealed that the decision has been taken to ensure that the patient's appetite is normal and there are no complications, since there have been instances when people have been discharged after fever but have returned with serious complications.
While international protocols do not recommend early admissions, senior paediatricians in government say the model suits the state.
Dr S Srinivasan, coordinator, state Nodal Centre-National Rural Health Mission at ICH added that the first three days of fever is critical and that children should be given adequate fluids and care should be taken to ensure diagnosis is not missed.
However, contrary to what state health experts say, infectious disease experts opine that longer stay at hospitals could increase risk of infections for patients, the report revealed.
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