Dengue Treatment

If you are not one of the victims of dengue, at least be prepared on how you would handle a patient in your family who is showing the symptoms of this dreaded mosquito disease. To those who have surpassed this stage and recovered because of their own judgment to bring their love ones to the hospital, such efforts and initiative is admired. Hence, to those who are not aware of how serious dengue is and do not know how to give the right treatment, it is best to read this whole article so you won’t panic, and focus if this strikes in your territory at the time that you are defenseless and not really secured.

10. Enough Bed Rest

This is the basic step that you have to make whether you are the one who has been suspected of dengue or other members of your family. You have to make sure that an individual is resting or sleeping in a very comfortable place without any interruption but have proper ventilation. Make sure that it is away from all noise and other disturbances. It should be a quiet place and avoid turning the television on and other music components at home.

9. Give Basic Medication for Fever and Pain

You should only give tablets or any syrup based on the patient’s conditions and age. Hence, as per health guidelines given in all hospitals, Paracetamol is recommended within 24 hours, which is not more than 4 times to be taken if the fever reached above 39°C. Hence, there are recommended table drafts of dosage according to specific age groups. Nonetheless, it is discouraged to give Aspirin or Brufen to children because it may cause bleeding or gastritis that will trigger other complications for dengue. Moreover, antibiotics are highly excluded for basic medication since it would not help the condition of patients but it would even cause sudden bleeding.

8. More Fluids

Dehydration is one of the obvious results or effects for any individual who has confirmed dengue fever. This is the reason why you have to give or serve more fluids or any liquids that he or she can take while resting. Even when the person does not want it, you have to monitor it to be assured that he or she will not be dehydrated. Otherwise, you have to rush the person to a nearby hospital to receive proper dehydration treatment, which is in dextrose form.

7. Tepid Sponging

Aside from Paracetamol that will decrease the level of fever temperature of patients, you have to continuously and alternately give warm tepid sponging to absorb the level of heat in the body. This would help to lower it down hot body temperature a bit and to avoid dehydration.

6. Monitor Blood Pressure

If you have a sphygmomanometer at home and you know how to use it, it is best to randomly check the person’s blood pressure so you would know if it is normal or has irregular results of blood pressure. This is a critical indication if you would need to continue the basic treatments that you are doing at home and could bring these records too, once you have found out that the situation of your loved one is not changing and worsening. It would help medical attendees to assess the condition of the member of your family.

5. Serve Foods Rich in Vitamin to Strengthen Immune System

You still need to serve best foods from fruits and vegetables to them. Of course, you have to check their appetite if they want it or not. Hence, you should maintain nutritious foods, especially vitamin rich food selections that would boost and strengthen the immune system of the person to get through with the pain and uncomfortable feeling which is being build up in the body.

4. Rush to the Hospital in Extreme Cases

If the basic treatments that you have been serving to your loved one are not enough, it is a basic prerogative to bring them to the hospital. This is wise for them to receive necessary examinations where doctors can give you direct advice or appropriate medications should in case the dengue case is beyond the normal days, especially if symptoms of dengue are at its worst state. Physicians and other medical specialist are the best people who are trained how to give the right remedy to your loved one.

3. Oxygen if Needed

This is another option but it rarely happens just in case the patient is very ill or still in shock state. This is a case-to-case basis and it is up to the bodily response of the person. Oxygen is needed to stabilize the blood and promote its healthy state. It is also encouraged to use this treatment if the patient is in shock where blood pressure and pulse cannot be traced or measured. It raises the hematocrit, where improvement with the condition of the individual is observed.

2. Blood Transfusion if Advised

Blood transfusion can be done to replace whole blood and dying red cells as the disease is incurring blood loss while everything happens. It replenishes everything aside from the platelets that have been declining in numbers due to the affecting virus. It can be used in two ways. One, if the warning signs are overwhelming where decreasing hematocrit is observed, and two, when the situation go worse wherein a consistent supply of fresh blood should be administered to lessen fatal risks involved.

1. Platelet Transfusion if Platelet Count Went down

One of the worst impacts and complications in experiencing dengue fever is the gradual decrease of platelets in the blood. How difficult can the situation be? When platelets are low, there are lesser blood components that assure the non-occurrence of blood clotting. Internal bleeding can happen, thus loss of blood is seen. If this situation is not treated, then thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) may threaten the life of the person where blood clots will form all over the body. So before everything grows too late, have that platelet transfusion done so that recovery and smooth blood circulation can be promoted.

Sources:

http://www.tiptoptens.com/

Dengue Introduction

Dengue is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with one of the four dengue virus serotypes. It is a febrile illness that affects infants, young children and adults with symptoms appearing 3-14 days after the infective bite.

Dengue is not transmitted directly from person-to-person and symptoms range from mild fever, to incapacitating high fever, with severe headache, pain behind the eyes, muscle and joint pain, and rash. There is no vaccine or any specific medicine to treat dengue. People who have dengue fever should rest, drink plenty of fluids and reduce the fever using paracetamol or see a doctor.

Severe dengue (also known as dengue hemorrhagic fever) is characterized by fever, abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, bleeding and breathing difficulty and is a potentially lethal complication, affecting mainly children. Early clinical diagnosis and careful clinical management by trained physicians and nurses increase survival of patients.

Symptoms of Dengue fever

Many people, especially children and teens, may experience no signs or symptoms during a mild case of dengue fever. When symptoms do occur, they usually begin four to 10 days after you are bitten by an infected mosquito. Signs and symptoms of dengue fever most commonly include:

• Fever, as high as 106 F (41 C)
• Headaches
• Muscle, bone and joint pain
• Pain behind your eyes

You might also experience:

• Widespread rash
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rarely, minor bleeding from your gums or nose

Most people recover within a week or so. In some cases, symptoms worsen and can become life-threatening. Blood vessels often become damaged and leaky. And the number of clot-forming cells (platelets) in your bloodstream drops. This can cause:

• Bleeding from your nose and mouth
• Severe abdominal pain
• Persistent vomiting
• Bleeding under the skin, which might look like bruising
• Problems with your lungs, liver and heart

When to see a doctor

If you've recently visited a region in which dengue fever is known to occur and you suddenly develop a fever, see your doctor.

Dengue fever prevention guide

Dengue is caused by the bite of a female mosquito (Aedes aegypti).  The mosquitoes love to live with us.  They are domestic creatures. They rest in dark, quiet places – mostly in our houses (restrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, closets and under furniture).Folks, the only way that we can rid ourselves of dengue is to get rid of the mosquitoes.  The only way for us to do that is to break their life cycle.  We have the authority to EVICT THE AEDES from our homes!I have attached some information for you to use and to send to your friends.  Each of us has a responsibility here.  It takes no more than 10-15 minutes of our time to walk around our yards and remove ALL standing water.

• Cover or tightly close water containers.
• Empty all other containers and turn them top down.
• Seal, wells, septic tanks and soak-aways properly.
• Dispose of garbage properly.
• Remove water in plant plates, clean and scrub the plate thoroughly to remove mosquito eggs.
• Change water every two days.
• Clean and scrub the inner side of the vases.

Leave your windows open during the night (only if you have intact screens at your windows) to allow fog (from Environmental Health Services) to enter your home.If you grow plants that hold water in its centre “cup” (like bromeliads) or have any other water reservoirs in your yards (like pools, fountains, or small ponds), Environmental Health Services will provide you with larvacide (a chemical to kill mosquitoes during the development stage).  The only requirement is that you collect it!