Chennai: Puducherry woman died of H1N1, first was said to have Typhoid

[Roehl_JC]

PUDUCHERRY/CHENNAI: A 40-year-old woman from Puducherry died in a Chennai hospital of acute respiratory distress following A (H1N1) infection.
Director of public health Dr S Elango confirmed that the patient dies in Sri Ramachandra University at 6.30 pm on Monday. With this the A (H1N1) toll in the state has risen to six.

The patient, V Sankari, had tested positive for the flu and had slipped into coma a day earlier. According to Sankari's husband RL Venkataraman, she had fainted while attending a wedding a few days ago. She was rushed to a private hospital for treatment. Doctors had initially said she was possibly suffering from typhoid, but when her condition deteriorated, she was referred to JIPMER, Puducherry.

A test of her swab samples at JIPMER showed that she was A (H1N1) positive. Her husband favoured her being shifted to Sri Ramachandra university hospital, Porur, a few days ago as she suffered from other medical conditions.



http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...H1N1-in-city-hospital/articleshow/5140125.cms

 

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Chennai: Puducherry woman died of H1N1, first was said to have Typhoid

?A(H1N1) was not the cause of woman?s death?

Staff Reporter


PUDUCHERRY: The Directorate of Health and Family Welfare Services on Tuesday confirmed that the cause of death of a 40-year-old resident of Puducherry at a private hospital in Chennai was not due to A (H1N1) influenza.

V. Sankari, a resident of Lawspet in Puducherry, died at a private hospital in Chennai on Monday evening. Responding to reports that she tested positive for A (H1N1) influenza at JIPMER, the Health Department said she tested negative for H1N1 virus.

A release from the department said that she had been suffering from fever for more than seven days and was taking treatment at a private clinic, presumably for typhoid. She had developed difficulty in breathing for two days and taken to JIPMER on October 14.

As the patient?s oxygen saturation was very low and chest X-ray revealed pneumonia, she was admitted to the intensive care unit and put on ventilator at JIPMER. On the morning of October 15, a throat swab was taken for testing for H1N1, but her husband shifted her to Chennai against medical advice, the release said.

However, the test reports later were negative for H1N1 and the patient died at the private hospital in Chennai, the release said.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/10/21/stories/2009102153570300.htm