NEW DELHI: The Centre late on Friday night issued revised guidelines for treatment of A(H1N1) influenza patients in the wake of a large number of people turning up at the hospitals for testing.
All individuals seeking consultations for flu-like symptoms should now be screened at healthcare facilities, both government and private, or examined by a doctor.
The patients have been categorised as follows:
Category A: Patients with mild fever plus cough/sore throat with or without body ache, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting. They do not require Oseltamivir and should be treated for the symptoms mentioned above. The patients should be monitored for their progress and reassessed after 24 to 48 hours by the doctor. No testing of the patient for H1N1 is required. Patients should confine themselves at home and avoid mixing with the public and high risk members in the family.
Category B: (i) In addition to all the signs and symptoms of Category A, if the patient has high grade fever and severe sore throat, he/she may require home isolation and Oseltamivir; (ii) In addition to all the signs and symptoms of Category A, individuals having one or more of the following high risk conditions shall be treated with Oseltamivir: children under five, pregnant women, those above 65 years, those with lung diseases, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, blood disorders, diabetes, neurological disorders, cancer and HIV/AIDS; Patients on long term cortisone therapy. No H1N1 tests are required for Category-B (i) and (ii). Such patients should confine themselves at home and avoid mixing with the public and high-risk members in the family.
Category C: In addition to the symptoms of Categories A and B, if the patient has one or more of the following: breathlessness, chest pain, drowsiness, fall in blood pressure, sputum mixed with blood, bluish discolouration of nails; irritability among small children, refusal to accept feed; worsening of underlying chronic conditions. Such patients require testing, immediate hospitalisation and treatment.
The guidelines were finalised after a five-hour meeting chaired by Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.
These norms will be reviewed and revised from time to time as per the need and on the basis of spread of the disease.
The meeting was attended by officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Directorate-General of Health Services, and representatives and experts of private and public hospitals. During the meeting, various guidelines and protocols developed by the World Health Organisation, Geneva, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Atlanta, United States, and the National Health Service, United Kingdom, were also discussed.
