Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad is day by day turning as the brunt of heat pyrexia (when fever crosses more than 101°F) cases, as most of the people are suggested to visit this particular hospital, if the complaints regarding dehydration, high fever, diarrhoea, headache and vomiting are high.
Only on Friday, the hospital received a high number of 878 pediatric out patients (OP) and among them most of them are suffering from heat pyrexia combined with diarrhoea.
Sometimes, pediatric cases become complicated when contaminated drinking water leads to diarrhoea and vomiting while extreme temperature results in heat pyrexia at the same time.
Pre medical care at home
Most of the doctors advise proper medical care at home before the patients are brought to the hospital. "It will help if parents can administer Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) or paracetamol syrup for kids (in case they have a fever) before bringing them to hospital. This will help them to stabilize," said Dr M Venkateswarlu, duty doctor, Niloufer emergency ward.
The root cause for the pyrexia cases is generally due to spending long hours under the sun. Dr. Aftab Ahmed, consultant physician, Apollo Hospitals, Secunderabad, suggests, "In case one has to travel with kids, try and travel at the coolest part of the day. Ensure children should wear light colored, loose clothes and hydrate them with water or at least fruit juice."
"In the event, a child is sick due to heat stress, immediately move to a cooler place, give fluids, use fan and wet towels to cool down and call for emergency help," he added.
Government should take these initiatives
As the temperatures are getting worse day by day, it would be better if government arranges few awareness campaigns. Especially, the parents who are travelling with the kids should be taken extra care. In every bus stations, railway stations and many other places where the people are crowded to travel, the government should arrange fans, coolers and drinking water too at least till the temperatures come down completely.
By Phani
