With the maximum number of swine flu cases being reported in Maharashtra, especially Pune and Nashik, the state government has now introduced a treatment protocol for doctors.

Maharashtra has reported 2502 cases with 409 deaths so far. This coupled with the high mortality rate last year prompted doctors to revise the protocol, especially refresh methods used to handle critical patients with acute respiratory distress.

A few of the important updated recommendations are:

• Extend Oseltamivir tablets to 10 days as opposed to the previous schedule of 5 to 7 days 
• If patients continues to be unresponsive to Oseltamivir, begin non-invasive ventilation rather than using endotracheal tube
• Maintain a gap of at least 3 feet between adjacent beds of patients if separate areas to house infected patients are not available 

Information for the article was sourced from The Indian Express. Read the original here.