Spike in demand for platelets as dengue, fever cases increase

  • | Monday | 21st October, 2019

“Most hospitals use platelets collected from random donors, that is platelets separated from whole blood. A government doctor told Express that there was definitely an increase in need for platelets due to fever cases. We struggled for two days to arrange platelet donors for him,” says one regular donor. “Also, as government and private hospitals are overcrowded with fever and dengue cases, my college mate was sent back by a private hospital at Porur as its ICU was full on Saturday. “However, not all dengue patients require platelets.

Sinduja Jane By Express News Service CHENNAI: Even as private and government hospitals across the State are struggling to manage fever and dengue cases, voluntary donors say they are unable to meet the rising need for platelets. “We are getting calls from government as well as private hospitals. If we call 10 people, two will turn up for donation,” said Srivatsa Vema, a member of Chennai-based Platelet Club. “Most hospitals use platelets collected from random donors, that is platelets separated from whole blood. For that we need five to six donors to collect a single unit of platelets. This become very difficult for us,” Vema explained. A government doctor told Express that there was definitely an increase in need for platelets due to fever cases. “At the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital alone around 20 units of platelets are needed every day for the fever ward,” the doctor said. “Usually there is a shortage of blood in the festive season. This dengue season making it worse. The platelet requirement has increased three times because of dengue,” said Vema. “A college mate has been admitted at a private hospital with dengue. We were told his platelet count was below 20,000 which is serious. We struggled for two days to arrange platelet donors for him,” says one regular donor. “Also, as government and private hospitals are overcrowded with fever and dengue cases, my college mate was sent back by a private hospital at Porur as its ICU was full on Saturday. He had to get admitted to another private hospital,” the donor said. According to Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital officials, 182 patients were admitted at the fever ward on Sunday. Of them, 37 had dengue. “However, not all dengue patients require platelets. It is advisable only for people with bleeding, manifested as vomiting of blood, red rashes on the body, fluid accumulation in lungs, and also changes in stool colour. Patients without these symptoms can be managed with oral and IV fluids even if their platelet count is lower than 30,000. It just requires observation and symptomatic treatment. This is the treatment protocol followed by the State Health Department,” a government doctor explained, adding that although blood can only be donated once in three months, platelets can be donated every other day. Volunteers can donate blood at GHs.

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