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Test to avoid unwanted blood transfusion during dengue

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denguNew Delhi:The Immature Platelet Fraction (IPF) test during dengue can prevent unwanted blood transfusion along with the complications related to it, a study by Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said on Monday.

If the IPF, a modern parameter that measures young and thereby reticulated platelets in peripheral blood, is high then there is no requirement of blood transfusion in a dengue patient even if there were initial indications of its requirement, the doctors said.

The IPF level rise as bone marrow production of platelets increase. Therefore, its measurement provides an assessment of bone marrow platelet production from a peripheral blood sample, in a similar way to how a reticulocyte count could provide a measure of red cell production.

The study was conducted on 50 dengue patients who had platelet count less than 1,00,000/cumm and admitted to Ganga Ram Hospital last year.

According to guidelines, platelet transfusion is indicated when its count is less than 20,000/cumm or if the patient has bleeding.

The indications of transfusion were present in 18 patients during the study. However, only 12 patients out of 18 (66.66 per cent) received appropriate transfusion.

In six of the 18 (33 per cent) patients, platelet transfusion was deferred as their immature platelet fraction values were high. Thus the IPF helped prevent platelet transfusion in one-third of the patients who would have received a platelet transfusion.

“This is the first study in which we found Immature Platelet Fraction test useful. IPF can be taken as an indicator of bone marrow recovery from insult caused by the dengue virus. Its values can be taken as an indicator of requirement platelet transfusion. The same can be deferred if immature platelet fraction values are high, the patient is not bleeding and the blood pressure is stable,” Jyoti Kotwal, chairperson department of haematology, told IANS.

Finding the utility of IPF in reducing the need for platelet transfusion in large number of dengue patients, the department of internal medicine and the haematology department are using the test to monitor platelets in dengue patients.

South Delhi Municipal Corporation, the nodal agency for maintaining a record of dengue and chikungunya cases, said Delhi so far has witnessed over 400 cases of dengue and chikungunya each.

Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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