E-Paper
Experts will train Pune city doctors on SOPs
Doctors from Nair Hospital in Mumbai would also help formulate a standard operating procedure for patients who have recovered from the Covid-19 infection, but still face health issues
A team of specialists from Mumbai will arrive in the city on Thursday to impart training on post-Covid complications and treatment thereof, at the jumbo Covid facility at COEP.
The doctors from Nair Hospital in Mumbai would also help formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) for patients who have recovered from the Covid-19 infection, but still face health issues.
Earlier in August four extremely critical Covid-19 patients who were on a ventilator for about four to six weeks were successfully discharged from Pune’s Army Institute of Cardiothoracic Sciences (AICTS) after they were treated with anti-fibrotic drugs which was also the first such feat in the country.
By the end of June, four kids who were admitted to Bharati Vidyapeeth hospital who lived in Covid-19 containment zones also showed signs of Kawasaki disease like swelling of hands and feet, peeling of skin of fingers and Coronary artery (heart blood vessel) dilatation and persistent fever and other inflammation signs.
City doctors and hospitals have been reporting multiple complications, post Covid-19, including Kawasaki disease-like symptoms in children and lung fibrosis.
The draft SOP prepared by the Pune administration covers a wide array of issues including drug-related complications and neuromuscular problems.
The SOP, which is in the possession of HT, mentions what symptoms should be looked in patients that have recovered and what should be a probable line of diagnosis.
As of Tuesday, of the total number of reported Covid-19 positives of 2,89,803, 2,27,250 have recovered.
Saurabh Rao, divisional commissioner, said, “Cuttack university has given a detailed presentation and draft SOP based on which we will prepare our own SOP. We will have a decentralised system for post-Covid-19 treatment because we do not want rural patients who might have sought treatment in the city to travel back to the city for post-infection treatment.”
The draft SOP speaks of multiple tests including blood investigations, to ascertain the stoppage of cytokine storm for moderate cases.
A chest X-ray and HRCT is to detect residual lung damage. A six-minute walk test is offered to all to detect a fall in saturation after exercise.
Pulmonary complications include exertional hypoxia or the need for low-dose oxygen therapy, which points to lung fibrosis.
Post-Covid Kawasaki disease symptoms with rashes in the adolescent age group, and a variety of skin manifestations should be looked for six weeks.
Post Covid-19 stroke is also a factor, with viral fatigue syndrome, weakness and extreme fatigue, mentioned in the draft SOP.
As per the SOP, for those with comorbidities, anti-diabetic therapy should be titrated with blood glucose control as sugars will settle down with reduction in steroid dose. This is applicable to hypertension also. Patients needing dialysis therapy during acute stage should be monitored for residual renal damage, the SOP states.
The SOP also speaks of drug related complications during the course of treatment. Physiotherapy is needed for all patients who have recovered from Covid-19. As per the SOP, respiratory physiotherapy with respiratory exercise for a period of six weeks to three months is recommended.
Other possible complications include weight loss, depression, episodes of mania and social deprivation, also of which needs to be tackled by a clinical psychologist.
