Rise in malaria-induced jaundice cases

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL, OCT. 19. Malaria is emerging as one of the important causative factors of jaundice with the rise in the incidence of malaria in recent years. It is found that about 20 per cent of cases of jaundice are caused by malaria. Until the patient is treated for malaria, jaundice bothers the person. In some cases, jaundice gets aggravated before the causative factor is diagnosed.

Dr. K. Venkateswarlu, Professor of Gastroenterology, Kurnool Medical College, emphasised that an ultrasound device would come in handy in diagnosing jaundice induced by malaria. Dr. Venkateswarlu, who took part in the South Asian Regional Interactive Workshop on "Ultrasound in Jaundice" in Chennai recently, said in the case of malaria-induced jaundice the size of the liver was either enlarged or remained normal. On the other hand, in the case of viral jaundice the liver was shrunk.

Ultrasound was very important in diagnosing obstructive jaundice too. In this type of disease, the liver remains normal but the duct-carrying bile is found disfunctional. The obstruction is caused by formation of stones or cancer. Only ultrasound could pinpoint the cause. Though the symptoms are different for each type of jaundice, the practitioners sometimes get misled by multiple complaints associated with jaundice like fever, loss of appetite, chill, abdominal pain, vomiting and headache.

Dr. Venkateswarlu stressed the need to break the myth that allopathy had no remedy for jaundice saying that even rural practitioners entertained this misconception. The commonest reason for jaundice was viral infection, he said and added that when allopathy treated viral infections like cold, viral gastroenteritis, viral encephalitis and polio cases, it was illogical to dismiss that there was no cure for jaundice. Though drugs could not eliminate the virus, the patient required medical care to treat the associated complications and prepare the body to fight the virus.

He said most allopathy practitioners refuse to treat jaundice cases because the patients come for treatment in the advanced stage of the disease. Very little could be done at that stage. This tendency among doctors led to reinforcing the impression among the common public that only other systems had medicines for jaundice.

According to him, over 30 per cent of jaundice cases were caused by viral infections, 20 per cent by alcohol consumption, 20 per cent by malaria, 10-20 per cent by cancer, 10 per cent of cases were induced by certain drugs. He said in the case of virus- induced jaundice, the patient would recover provided proper rest, high carbohydrate but restricted fat and protein food were given. Among the types of viruses that caused jaundice, the patients with Hepatitis B and C infection required observation because some cases led to cirrhosis of liver. Among the carriers of the two viruses, about 20-24 per cent of patients developed cirrhosis of the liver.

About 70 per cent of patients recovered from the disease and one per cent slipped into coma, which is fatal. Also, the treatment of acute jaundice costs Rs.6,000, the chronic Hepatitis Rs.60,000 and the liver transplant anywhere between Rs.6 lakhs and Rs.60 lakhs. Even in the advanced nations, the liver transplant patients developed renal complications after five years indicating that the chances of long-term survival rate were dim. He said according to projections by health experts, Hepatitis B could be eradicated from the globe only by the year 2050.

Dr. Venkateswarlu said certain drugs for tuberculosis, spoiled groundnut, a few types of mushrooms and aflatoxins impaired the functioning of the liver. One could keep the liver healthy and fit by protecting it from viral infections, intake of fresh leafy vegetables and restricting the consumption of alcohol. The Hepatitis A and E entered the body through contaminated water and food while Hepatitis B and C were transmitted through exchange of body fluids like blood and saliva.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Debts drive six of family to suicide
Next     : Kumudben Joshi resumes charge PEA chairperson