Ahmedabad: Fever, body pain and dehydration are sending more and more patients to city hospitals over the past fortnight as dengue and swine flu strike at the same time. Some of the factors driving the hospital admissions include significant platelet drop, incessant vomiting and diarrhoea, and high-grade fever for more than 3-4 days, experts said.The rise is being driven largely by younger patients, many of whom are exposed to viral infections and mosquito bites, said Dr Manoj Vithalani, an internal medicine specialist at HCG Hospital. “Most of the patients are below 50 years of age. While the numbers are high, the severity is not a major concern. Patients generally recover within four to five days, depending on their symptoms,” he said.Doctors said patients with prolonged high fever can lose significant amount of fluids through sweating and faster breathing. This can result in dehydration and related complications, often prompting hospital admission.“Drop in white blood cell count is another concern,” said Pravin Garg, a physician. “The patients generally come with symptoms such as myalgia (body pain), nausea, headache, and overall malaise. As both dengue and viral infections can present with high-grade fever, a lab report is necessary to determine the course of treatment. We suggest adequate rest and hydration,” Dr Garg said.Dr Shanti Bhushan, a critical care specialist at Shalby Hospital, said admissions have increased sharply compared with the previous month.“We are seeing patients with both dengue and H1N1. The initial cases were reported from industrial clusters and areas with new construction and open spaces. The season was prolonged because of gaps in rainfall in the city,” he said.However, doctors said only a small proportion of patients develop severe disease. According to Bhushan, around 2-3% of patients develop serious symptoms, particularly those with weakened immunity or underlying health conditions.“Most hospitalized patients recover satisfactorily,” he said.Dr Navneet Shah, an internal medicine specialist at Zydus Hospital, said the pattern for malaria and dengue differs. “In dengue cases, we see children and those who have more outdoor work as having higher chances of infection. We provide supportive and symptoms-based treatment for dengue cases,” he said.
