A 51-year-old man from Nira village in Purandar tehsil of Pune district died while undergoing treatment for suspected Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) at Bharati Hospital Thursday morning, prompting the health department to intensify surveillance in the area; officials said on Friday.
The patient was admitted to Bharati Hospital on March 2 after his condition worsened. He was undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) where his blood pressure spiked and breathing difficulties increased following which, he was put on ventilator support. Initially, his condition began to stabilise but later, he suffered a sudden spike in blood pressure which led to a heart attack Thursday morning. Doctors said that the patient died at around 7.30 am due to complications associated with GBS. “The patient had GBS and it was diagnosed as a severe form of the disease based on the complications. During treatment, his blood pressure suddenly increased which led to a heart attack. The death has been recorded as caused by GBS,” said a Bharati Hospital official on request of anonymity.
According to the authorities, the patient had initially complained of weakness on February 24 and sought treatment at a private hospital in Nira. The next day, he developed a tingling sensation in his hands and legs and returned to the hospital. An MRI scan was conducted in Phaltan which was reported as normal but as the symptoms persisted, the patient was referred to another physician and admitted for observation. On February 27 after the patient reported reduced strength in his limbs, he was referred to a neurosurgeon in Pune who suspected that he was suffering from GBS. He was later referred to Bharati Hospital for advanced treatment, said Dr Vandana Vasave, Pune district surveillance officer.
{{/usCountry}}According to the authorities, the patient had initially complained of weakness on February 24 and sought treatment at a private hospital in Nira. The next day, he developed a tingling sensation in his hands and legs and returned to the hospital. An MRI scan was conducted in Phaltan which was reported as normal but as the symptoms persisted, the patient was referred to another physician and admitted for observation. On February 27 after the patient reported reduced strength in his limbs, he was referred to a neurosurgeon in Pune who suspected that he was suffering from GBS. He was later referred to Bharati Hospital for advanced treatment, said Dr Vandana Vasave, Pune district surveillance officer.
{{/usCountry}}The death comes days after another suspected GBS patient — a 47-year-old woman from the same village — was treated successfully and discharged from Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital on March 4.
Following these cases, the public health department has launched surveillance in Nira village under the local primary health centre. Health teams have been deployed and are carrying out door-to-door monitoring to identify residents with symptoms, said Dr Ramchandra Hankare, Pune district health officer.
As per officials, district health officials and Pune Zilla Parishad officials also visited the village on Thursday to review the situation and guide local health workers on surveillance measures.
As part of the precautionary exercise, eight health teams have so far surveyed nearly 600 houses, covering a population of 12,511 people across 2,307 households; said Dr Naresh Bagul, medical officer at the Nira primary health centre.
Blood samples of three residents have been collected, while 15 water samples from wells, taps, tankers, private RO systems and the Gram Panchayat water supply have been sent for testing to rule out any contamination.
Dr Hankare said, “Residents have been advised to drink boiled water and maintain hygiene, while private hospitals in the area have been instructed to immediately report any suspected GBS or infectious disease case/s to the health department. The daily surveillance reports are being collected to ensure early detection of any new cases.”