New Delhi, Jan 8 (PTI) Hookworm manifestation in the bodyif not diagnosed timely, could lead to their multiplicationand "immense blood loss" and complications, according tomedical experts.
City-based Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) today said thebehaviour was observed during the case study of a 14-year-oldboy, who was "referred to the centre about six months ago,with two episodes of passage of blood in stool".
He was suffering from iron deficiency for the last twoyears and was being supported with repeated blood transfusion,the hospital said in a statement.
"The boy had received 50 units (22 litres) of blood intransfusion in the last two years. His diagnosis could not beestablished in spite of various repeated tests includingesophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), colonoscopy and radiographicstudies of intestines done earlier and at our centre also,which were normal," it said.
"His haemoglobin was low at 5.86 unit," according to DrAnil Arora, Chairperson, Department of Gastroenterology at theSGRH.
He is also a co-author of the case study that has beenpublished in the Journal of Infectious Diseases and Therapy bythe Department of Gastroenterology, the hospital said.
"In view of the child's obscure (unknown origin)gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), we conducted capsuleendoscopy. The results shocked us. We could see multiplehookworms buried in small intestine and were seen activelysucking blood with dancing movements," he said.
Capsule endoscopy is a procedure that uses a tinywireless camera to take pictures of the digestive tract.
"Sucked blood could be seen in the cavity of hookworms,giving red colour to them. White coloured hookworms thathad not yet sucked blood were seen lying quiet in the smallbowel. After treatment the child recovered and his haemoglobinincreased to 11 gm/dl," the doctor said.
Obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) is defined asovert bleeding of unknown origin that persists or recurs afteran initial negative endoscopic evaluation includingcolonoscopy and EGD.
"Conventionally hookworm infestation is found commonly inAsian population. Manifestation of hookworms can be preventedby avoiding barefoot walking and maintenance of food hygiene,"Arora said. PTI KNDANB.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.