After reading through my better half’s guest post on the
importance of laboratory services at NJH, I’ve been stuck by the sudden
increase in the number of cases where we ended up diagnosing as meningitis.
Of course, Dr. Roshine taking over as consultant physician has done
quite a lot towards this. The number of patients who’ve been subject to a
lumbar puncture has gone up. I’m sure that many of the patients who had been
stamped as cerebral malaria in the earlier years are being diagnosed as
meningitis now, thanks to the assurance of a lumbar puncture.
I was quite inquisitive about the trends of the meningitis
patients over the last 6 months. I requested information from the the Acute
Care Unit about the distribution of patients. This was the slip I received.
Now, this has fuelled an exercise where Dr. Roshine would be
looking at the patient load with probable diagnosis of meningitis. Watch out
for the initial findings which should be out soon.
I'm sure that we have quite a surprise waiting for us . . .
I'm sure that we have quite a surprise waiting for us . . .
Jeevan - did you get Sheba's thesis on cerebral malaria at NJH? Curious about what you think about it...
ReplyDeleteThat is quite a lot of Encephalitis with a possible outbreak in September-October. Do put the number of Pf positive in another column (maybe add which are unconscious patients/ patients with fits). I know Hiranpur had a Japanese Encephalitis outbreak in September-October 1989 (just before I joined) with similar numbers. after that there was a long gap as immunity had developed (at least up to 2007 when the JE immunization was done in Birbhum)
ReplyDeleteAll unconscious patients or patients /those with fits in malarial areas should have Malaria testing and CSF (latter if there is a fever)
ReplyDeletehelpful information and blog....
Delete