PUNE: A rise in dengue cases across Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad has led to a surge in platelet demand at the blood banks of Sassoon General Hospital and Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH).
Platelets are one of the cellular components of the blood, along with white and red blood cells that play an important role in clotting and bleeding.
Officials from blood banks said each of the two hospitals now need at least 20-25 platelet units each every day. Before the dengue caseload went up, Sassoon was giving out 10 to 15 platelet units and demand at YCMH was at just four to five units.
The officials said they are relying on blood donation camps to replenish stock.
“We generally keep buffer stock to avoid last-minute rush, but since platelets have a shelf life of five days, we can’t just store more. Currently, we are able to meet demand but if it increases, we will conduct more blood donation camps,” an official from Sassoon Hospital’s blood bank said.
Some dengue patients may go on to require platelet transfusion as their system becomes unable to make enough platelets, despite proper fluid intake and medication. Pune has had 50 dengue cases already in July. In Pimpri Chinchwad, the number of patients is at 20.
Shankar Mosalgi, blood transfusion officer at the YCMH, said the number of cases in PCMC areas may be low but depending on the condition some may need 3-4 platelet units during treatment. “And others may not need any at all. Civic hospitals also supply private hospitals if their stock runs low,” he said. The normal platelet count ranges between 1.5 and 4 lakh per microlitre. Dengue fever, according to experts, causes destruction of platelets and reduction in formation of new ones, which eventually leads to a low platelet count.
Officials at Sassoon Hospital said leukemia patients too are routinely given platelets via their blood bank.
Dengue is fast emerging as a major health concern this season. Recently, TOI had reported that doctors are worried the more dangerous type-2 dengue virus, or DENV-2, may be in circulation in the rural areas of Pune and Satara. A number of patients from these areas have landed in hospital with acute lung injury within days of symptom onset, which doctors said indicates circulation of DENV-2.
Health experts have urged civic officials to ensure mosquito breeding sites near residential areas are cleared as soon as possible.
