Tamil Nadu blood transfusion negligence: Retests confirm HIV, Hep B infection
MADURAI: A series of comprehensive medical retests performed on the 23-year-old pregnant woman, who was given HIV-positive blood, confirmed HIV and Hepatitis B virus infections at Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) on Thursday, said hospital dean (in-charge) Dr S Shanmugasundaram. However, he expressed optimism in preventing transmission of infections to the yet-to-be-born child.
The series of retests, including Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test, were performed to reconfirm HIV infection and ascertain viral load of the infection. While the test results confirmed HIV and Hepatitis B, the viral load of the HIV infection can be known only when PCR test results are out after 48 hours, Dr S Shanmugasundaram told Express.
Briefing media at the hospital, the dean said that to ensure proper treatment of the expecting mother, the number of specialists on the medical team, exclusively formed to treat her, was increased from three to nine. Now, the team, led by head of department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Dr C Shanthi, has experts, including a psychiatrist and a neonatologist on board, he added.
About treatment given to the woman, he said that earlier she was given three oral pills. However, now, she is given a single oral pill that contains the combined composition of the three pills. The woman is expected to go into labour around January 31, he added. “Usually, HIV infection is contracted by an infant from an infected mother at the time of delivery; the infection does not pass on to the foetus,” he said.
Reassuring that mother-to-child HIV transmission could be prevented up to 99 per cent in the case, he pointed out that doctors at the hospital had successfully treated similar cases in the past. Once the woman delivers, the baby would be administered Nevirapine drug, which effectively prevents transmission of infection to the child, for 42 days since birth, he added.
Speaking about the 19-year-old youth, who donated the infected blood, the dean (in-charge) said that his condition was stable. After his suicide attempt at Ramanathapuram district headquarters government
hospital, he was shifted to GRH, and at present, was receiving treatment at the ICU, he said.
Five-member panel to start inquiry today
Virudhunagar: A five-member committee will start on Friday its probe into the HIV-infected blood transfusion case. The probe will be completed in two days. Meanwhile, after the inspection at Sivakasi Government Blood Bank on Thursday, Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society Project Director Dr K Senthil Raj said that at present 464 units of blood stored at the bank was tested again and that it was safe. He said blood at private banks would also be re-tested.