Respected Subscribers & Readers,

There is a lot said by medical experts on prevention/precautions of dengue fever: and local, provincial and national government also launched very heavy campaigns to control havoc/panic created by dengue fever. First Aid to Save a Life Pakistan would like to discuss some of the misconceptions while discussing precautions and medications relating to dengue fever.

1:- Lethal advice – Stop use of Aspirin:

It is advised by local government and even by the other national medical organizations that dengue fever patients should stop use of Aspirin. On the other hand the national level cardiologists and most prominent names of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, Senior Professor Nadeem Hayat Malik (who is also Elected President of Pakistan Cardiac Society) publicly denied this advice (in his public address on September 25, 2011 in PC Lahore while commemorating World Heart Day Campaign organized by Jang Group) and suggested the patients those are suffering with cardiovascular diseases and have dengue fever that they should first consult with their cardiologists and take appropriate actions as advised by them and should not stop the medicines (like aspirin) on their own. He further emphasized that stopping use of these medicines without consultation with their cardiologists can be far more lethal and cause adverse effects on their health as compared to dengue fever.

He also presented some facts about severity of cardiovascular diseases in Pakistan and claimed that approximately more than 1000 deaths results in Pakistan due to cardiovascular diseases.

In this seminar other experts were also present who didn’t denied the public statement made by Professor Nadeem Hayat Malik. Some of the prominent names are Dr. Ambar Malik (Senior doctor of Sheikh Zayed Hospital) & Dr. Shahid Amin (Senior Doctor of PIC).

He again publicly addressed on September 29, 2011 in Punjab Institute of Cardiology Auditorium, on day of World Heart Day proceedings in Punjab Institute of Cardiology and again emphasized his concerns. A full panel of experts were also present there including the Head of Institute (Professor Dr. Azhar) along with the other experts like Dr. Amber Malik (Sr. Dr. of Sheikh Zayed Hospital), Dr. Shahid Amin (Sr. Dr. of PIC), Dr. Saqib Shafi (Sr. Dr. of PIC) and Medical Superintendent of PIC Lahore.

He further explained the complications and precautions in use of medicines especially aspirin or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) prescribed by cardiologists to cardiovascular disease patients. He added that sudden stoppage of these medicines can cause serious damages and these medicines can be stopped as advised by cardiologists. He included that these medicines can only be stopped if the platelet count reaches 50,000 range and the prescribed medicines can be cut to half if it reaches between 90,000. The patients are not advised to suddenly stop their medicines and must consult with their local cardiologists whom they visit for regular checkup or any institute.

There is not only one which is mentioned above, unfortunately there more than one.

To Your Health & Safety,

Faisal Javed Mir

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