The New Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has issued guidelines for the treatment of patients with suspected monkeypox (MAPox) symptoms. The premier medical institute has released a standard operating procedure (SOP) detailing the steps required to deal with monkeypox cases in the AIIMS emergency department, reports ANI.
The World Health Organisation, which last week declared the outbreak a global health emergency, said it was not another Covid-19 as much was already known about the virus and the means to control it.
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The SOPs issued by AIIMS on MPox cases are as follows:-
1. AIIMS said patients with fever, rash or contact with confirmed cases of monkeypox should be marked for immediate evaluation.
2. Physicians are asked to identify key symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle pain, back pain, swollen nymphal nodes, chills, fatigue and characteristic skin lesions.
3. Suspected patients should be immediately placed in a designated isolation area to minimise their contact with other patients and staff.
4. AIIMS Delhi has notified AB-7 beds numbers 33, 34, 35 and 36 for isolation of monkeypox patients.
5. According to the advisory, these beds will be allotted to monkeypox patients on the recommendation of the emergency chief medical officer and they will be treated by the department of medicine.
6. The AIIMS guidelines state that whenever a suspected monkeypox case is reported, the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) officials should be informed on the contact number 8745011784.
7. Patient details, brief history, clinical findings and contact details should be made available to the IDSP team.
8. AIIMS notified that Safdarjung Hospital has been designated for the management and treatment of monkeypox patients. Any suspected monkeypox patient should be referred to Safdarjung Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.
9. The AIIMS management has earmarked a dedicated ambulance to transfer patients to Safdarjung Hospital. The notification said that emergency staff must inform the ambulance coordinator on mobile number 8929683898 to transfer the suspected monkeypox patient.
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10. All patients must be handled with strict infection control measures. Staff have been asked to use personal protective equipment while dealing with suspected cases. Proper documentation of patients’ details, symptoms and referral process must be maintained, the AIIMS notification said.
