EFFECTS OF NUTRITION AND HYGIENE IN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM ACUTE VIRAL FEVER WITHOUT/WITH LOW PLATELET COUNT

BACKGROUND Nutrition and Sanitation are essential for good health and public well-being. With changing demographics, urbanisation and rural dynamics, a renewed thrust is being given to ensure balanced nutrition and good hygienic conditions. This study tries to explore the link between nutrition and hygienic conditions to acute viral fever with low platelet count (thrombocytopenia). Srikakulam district has been chosen for the study because of its backwardness in the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh. The present study is conducted in Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Srikakulam; Community Health Centre, Narasannapeta; KIMS Hospital, Srikakulam and GEMS Hospital, Srikakulam. Aim- To compare the nutritional status of children's fever with and without thrombocytopenia. MATERIALS AND METHODS The descriptive study was conducted in male and female subjects categorised under ill-nourished, moderately-nourished and well-nourished people and across the age groups of 7 - 14, 15 - 24, 25 - 35 and 36 - 60 years over a period of one year. Subjects with severe medical problems like cardiorespiratory, renal, hepatic and gastrointestinal illness were excluded from the study. In this study total 600 patients were taken; among them 350 subjects were suffering from viral fever and 250 patients were affected by viral fever with thrombocytopenia. Case sheets for tracing out the clinical symptoms, signs, vital data like blood pressure (BP), pulse rate, respiratory rate and temperature were designed. RESULTS It was observed that more patients suffering from viral fever with low platelet count were observed in the ill-nourished group (82.4%) compared to moderately nourished group (14%). Secondly, in the age-wise categorical study, it was found out that the phenomena of thrombocytopenia is more evident across the young subjects, particularly in the age group of 7 - 14 years (44%) and 15 - 25 years (24%). Patients with poor nutrition took long time to recover from fever and thrombocytopenia. CONCLUSION It is clearly evident that many patients with poor nutrition and sanitation were affected. They suffered from fever and that is prolonged and not controlled within 3 - 4 days and platelet counts do not reach normal levels within 11 - 15 days. Proper sanitation and balanced nutrition is necessary for ensuring public health and well-being. Government must ensure proper distribution of rations that includes all parts of a balanced diet. It must also emphasise more on public health education and generating awareness.