Dengue scare: IMA cautions people against panicking

Amid the rising cases of dengue in the city, Indian Medical Association (IMA) today said the present serotype of dengue virus is "less fatal" than the one in 2013 and appealed to people not to panic or force doctors to admit patients unless in urgent cases.
Amid severe rush at hospitals, IMA's Secretary General, K K Aggarwal said that only suspected severe dengue cases need medical attention and admission. Most can be managed as OPD care.
"There is no need of platelets transfusion unless a patient has active bleed and count of less than 10,000. Platelets counts by machine readings are not reliable and can have an error of upto 40,000. The reliable test is haematocrit and not platelet count," he claimed.

The Association also released dengue guidelines and appealed to people not to panic or force doctors to admit patients unless it is important.
Aggrawal also claimed that the present serotype of dengue virus is "less fatal", and advised people not to get alarmed.
"Do not fill beds with patients not requiring admission. Make beds available for severe dengue cases," Aggarwal said.

The IMA further said that unnecessary platelet transfusion can "cause more harm than good".
"Classic dengue fever is an acute febrile illness accompanied by headache, retro-orbital pain, and marked by muscle and joint pains. The incubation period may range from three to 14 days. Fever typically lasts for five to seven days. The febrile period may also be followed by a period of marked fatigue that can last for days to weeks.

"Most complications of dengue occur after the fever is over. The two days after the last episode of the fever are crucial and during this period, a patient should be encouraged to take plenty of oral fluids mixed with salt and sugar," Aggarwal said.
The main complication is leakage of capillaries and collection of blood outside the blood channels leading to intravascular dehydration. Giving fluids orally or by intravenous routes, if given at a proper time, can save complications from getting fatal, Aggarwal said.