PIMS received over 50,000 patients with gastroenteritis in four months

Islamabad: Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences has received well over 40,000 adult patients suffering from gastroenteritis at its main emergency department since April 1 this year while over 10,000 child patients suffering from gastro have also been reported at the children emergency of the hospital.

Nearly 10 per cent of the total patients of gastroenteritis commonly known as gastro reached hospital with severe dehydration while 54 per cent came with moderate dehydration in emergency department of the hospital, said Deputy Director at PIMS Dr. Wasim Ahmed Khawaja while talking to ‘The News’ on Wednesday.

He said the patients who reached hospital with severe dehydration were in need of intensive fluid replacement. However, 36 per cent of all patients of gastro were with mild dehydration, he said.

He added that of total patients of gastro so far reported at PIMS, 60 per cent were males while 40 per cent were females.

Gastroenteritis is an infection of stomach and intestine. It is a group of diseases caused by various viruses, bacteria, their toxins and parasites. The most common symptoms generally include vomiting, fever, severe diarrhoea with dehydration and lowering of blood pressure. Deaths from condition are common in the developing world like Pakistan especially in children under five years of age.

It is important that every year, the rise in humidity and the setting for monsoon in this region of the country cause a sharp increase in number of patients with diseases such as diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, gastro, typhoid and hepatitis AE in result of which the public sector hospitals have to bear an extra burden of patients with these monsoon related health hazards.

According to Dr. Khawaja, there is a need educate people on taking certain precautionary measures to avoid heavy burden of patients with gastro at the healthcare facilities. People should be made aware of the fact that gastro can easily be avoided by adopting a few simple preventive measures at individual level, he said.

In majority of cases of gastro reported at the PIMS, the main reasons were consumption of unsafe or contaminated drinking water and unfit foodstuff prepared in unhygienic conditions, said Dr. Khawaja.

He said people at risk of dehydration in summer are diabetics, patients of chronic diseases like HIV/AIDS, patients suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, mentally ill adults and children, new nursing mothers, mentally retarded and handicapped children and drug abusers.

Individuals must avoid loss of fluids and electrolytes particularly when having complaints of diarrhoea and vomiting, he said.

He, like other health experts, suggested that patients suffering from gastro should take plenty of fluids and ORS for at least three days. To avoid water and food borne infections, individuals should avoid eating unhygienic food at vendors during monsoon and should use boiled water for drinking, he said.

The number of cases of gastro is on the rise hinting that people are not giving due attention to preventive measures, said Dr. Khawaja. Gastro is 100 per cent preventable disease, he said.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/220898-PIMS-received-over-50000-patients-with-gastroenteritis-in-four-months