City sees first dengue death this season

Mumbai records first dengue death of the season as a 49-year-old woman dies at Bombay Hospital; rise in dengue and viral fever cases reported by doctors.

Mumbai: The city recorded its first dengue death of the season on Saturday at Bombay Hospital in Marine Lines.

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The patient, a 49-year-old woman, was admitted to the hospital on July 21 with abnormally rapid breathing, fast heart rate, an extremely low platelet count of 10,000 platelets/mcL of blood and severe metabolic acidosis.

According to a doctor at the hospital, the patient likely contracted dengue a week before her death. The doctor added that after her admission, she was given a platelet transfusion of 10 random donor platelets (RDP), which raised her platelet count to 30,000 platelets/mcL of blood – still significantly lower than the normal count for adults between 1,50,000-4,50,000 platelets/mcL of blood.

“This caused dangerous internal bleeding, and she was put on a ventilator due to low oxygen saturation on Saturday. However, she died around 3pm due to cardiac arrest,” the doctor said.

Dr Gautam Bhansali, consultant physician, Bombay Hospital, said there is a rise in dengue patients, and he sees around 15 to 20 cases every week. “The patients, who ignore their illness and come to the hospital late, go into hemorrhagic shock, but those who come on time can be saved easily,” he added.

Bhansali said that the cases would further rise after the monsoon. “After the rains stop, mosquitoes, sunlight and people all step out. Additionally, the mosquitoes that spread dengue bite in the day and breed in clean water,” he said.

Bhansali added that around 60-70% of the patients showing up for OPD need admission to a hospital.

“When the infection first strikes, the patient gets a fever, cough, and some may get rashes. At this point, treatment is symptomatic and supportive – vitamins and hydration,” Dr Monica Goel, consultant physician at Hinduja Hospital, said. “If the high fever persists and the patient is not able to keep down food, we advise hospitalisation to give antipyretics and intravenous fluids.”

The BMC, however, has attributed the escalation in dengue cases to an increase in reporting units from 22 to 880, with the addition of BMC dispensaries, BMC Hospitals, HBT clinics, additional private labs, and private hospitals. Dr Daksha Shah, the executive medical officer of health, BMC, said, “The death would be investigated. While dengue cases have increased, inspection of breeding sites has also increased.”

Meanwhile, doctors have also reported an increase in H3N2 and viral fever cases.