Members of the public are at fault through their failure in eradicating mosquito breeding grounds in and around their premises, while doctors have been blamed for poor clinical management of the disease. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said a study on dengue deaths had revealed certain shortcomings which included:
- Delay in detecting the disease;
- Failure to identify warning signs; - Dependence on traditional signs and patterns of the disease;
- Inappropriate and inadequate usage of fluid regimes; - Monitoring of vital signs performed routinely and poorly; and - Clinical acumen not fully utilised.
"If we wish to save more lives, we must do better. "We must update our knowledge and be ready to roll up our sleeves to fight the disease. "We must look at new and innovative ways of detecting the early warning signs of severe dengue and institute the right mix and volume of fluids." He added that the choice of intravenous fluids for resuscitation was extremely important and doctors must know the limitations of these solutions and use them appropriately. "What is important is assessment, to look out for warning signs even if a patient is diagnosed as not severe upon admission." Dr Ismail said there was an alarming increase of dengue cases worldwide in recent decades. "Dengue is now one of the world's fastest emerging infections and some 2.5 billion people -- two fifths of the world's population -- are at risk of contracting it, with more than 70 per cent of them living in the Asia-Pacific region." He added that Malaysia, Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam were among Asian countries badly affected by the disease, while Singapore was experiencing a decline.
Read more: http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/14dengue/Article#ixzz15YRDeQl4
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