KOZHIKODE: With the new revelation on the Nipah outbreak doing the rounds, a report prepared by the doctors of Kozhikode Medical College gives more strength to the argument that V Sudha, X-Ray assistant in the hospital, died due to the Nipah fever. The report was published in the Journal of The Association of Physicians of India in October.
The report was prepared after analysing the clinical picture of 10 cases admitted and treated in the MCH. Of the 10 cases, six were positive for Nipah infection and four were probable Nipah cases including the index case. Sudha was listed as the third case. The reports say that she probably contracted the infection from the index case, Sabith of Sooppikkada, on May 5 when he was admitted at the MCH.
“She had predominant respiratory involvement in the form of a cough and breathlessness which progressed to ARDS. She had also developed myocarditis in the form of hypotension, elevated troponin 1 and left ventricular dysfunction on echo,” the report outlines the medical condition of Sudha. The report added that another four Nipah confirmed cases admitted in the hospital had also features of myocarditis.
She succumbed to her illness 12 hours after admission with a diagnosis of unspecified viral fever with myocarditis and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Her investigations revealed normal complete blood count, renal and liver function tests. Also, her dengue serology was negative.
Myocarditis is usually caused by a viral infection. A severe case can weaken the heart, which can lead to heart failure, abnormal heartbeat and sudden death. The report suggested that a more detailed analysis of the cardiac manifestations of Nipah infection will have to be undertaken because the cardiac involvement has not been described in the previous Nipah outbreaks.
The team of experts, who prepared the report, includes NK Thulaseedaran, head of the department of medicine and KG Sajeeth Kumar, superintendent of the MCH.
Clinical fact
The report was published in the Journal of The Association of Physicians of India
The reports say that she probably contracted the infection from the index case, Sabith of Sooppikkada, on May 5 when he was admitted at the MCH