Dr Rajiv Desai
An Educational Blog
NIPAH
Nipah: _____ Figure above shows burial of a victim of Nipah virus in Kozhikode, India. _____ Prologue: An outbreak of probable encephalitis hit Siliguri, India in 2001. All hell broke loose when a cardiologist by the name of Dr Ajit Maity and a nurse associated with Medinova Florence Nursing Home fell victim to this disease. It was reported that both had contracted it while treating a patient. A few other doctors, nurses and paramedics were taken severely ill in another hospital. Ten among those infected medics later died. Soon, Siliguri started resembling a ghost town. The roads were deserted, shops shut and schools were closed for a week. There was misinformation circulated based on rumour and gossip. But worst of all was that some doctors secretly fled. Some doctors were apprehended at Jalpaiguri Railway Station and Bagdogra Airports by citizens before they could slip away. Red-faced politicians had flown in […]
OXYGEN THERAPY
Oxygen (O2) Therapy: _____ While we inhale 21% of oxygen and 0.04% of carbon dioxide, we exhale 17% of oxygen and 4% of carbon dioxide. _____ Prologue: Oxygen (O2) is a vital element in human survival and plays a major role in a diverse range of biological and physiological processes. Oxygen therapy means using an oxygen cylinder or a machine to breathe in air that contains more oxygen than normal. Oxygen is widely available and commonly prescribed by medical and paramedical staff. In medical practice, it is among the most universally used agents for the treatment of critical illness and part of the routine treatment in acute shock and emergency medicine. Proper application of oxygen therapy and airway management is lifesaving. In the absence of O2 (hypoxia), cellular respiration ceases and irreversible cellular injury and death occur within minutes. Administered correctly it may be lifesaving. However, renaissance physician Paracelsus noted: […]
