Measles increase in adults, many people have severe complications, need dialysis, ECMO intervention

GĐXH - According to experts, currently in Vietnam, measles is on the rise, not only in children but also in adults. Notably, the majority of cases have not been vaccinated or have not received a booster shot.

On March 24, information from Bach Mai Hospital said that recently, doctors at the hospital's Institute of Tropical Medicine received and treated many measles cases hospitalized in serious condition, with serious complications.

A typical case is a 51-year-old male patient from Gia Lam, Hanoi. The patient had a history of diabetes and bronchial asthma and was admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of measles/type II diabetes – hypertension – bronchial asthma. Despite treatment, after 5 days, the patient had increasing difficulty breathing, had to be intubated, had a ventilator, had atrial fibrillation, had cardiovascular disorders and was at risk of serious complications.

Doctors assess pneumonia complications in measles patients. Photo: BVCC.

Another case also in Gia Lam, Hanoi, is being treated intensively at the hospital, a 38-year-old male patient. The patient was previously healthy, a smoker but had no lung disease. The patient's condition progressed rapidly, only one day later he had a fever of 39 degrees, a rash appeared on his face spreading to his hands and body. He coughed up white phlegm, had a sore throat and difficulty breathing, respiratory failure, severe pneumonia and had to be put on an oxygen machine when transferred to another hospital. At Bach Mai Hospital, the patient with severe acute respiratory failure had to be resuscitated, put on a ventilator, have blood filtration and ECMO.

In addition to the above two cases, doctors at the Institute of Tropical Medicine also treated a pregnant woman with measles. Accordingly, the female patient, 28 years old, from Hai Hau, Nam Dinh, 8 weeks pregnant, was brought to the hospital with intermittent high fever, chills, muscle aches, and a red rash from the face spreading to the neck, chest, and abdomen.

The patient had a dry cough, sore throat, loose stools 4 times a day, no abdominal pain. The patient treated the fever at home, but the condition did not improve. Upon admission to the hospital, the patient was diagnosed with measles with bacterial superinfection, monitored for pneumonia, with a high risk of affecting the mother and fetus.

Do not be subjective with measles in adults

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Do Duy Cuong, Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital, currently in Vietnam, measles is on the rise, not only in children but also in adults, especially in groups with underlying diseases or weakened immunity.

According to statistics, since the beginning of the year, Bach Mai Hospital has received hundreds of measles cases in adults, an average of 10-20 cases per day. Common symptoms are fever, rash, cough, watery eyes, and runny nose.

However, many patients progressed severely with complications of pneumonia, respiratory failure, increased liver enzymes, diarrhea, and even meningitis. Notably, most of these cases had not been vaccinated or had been vaccinated but not given a booster shot.

A measles patient needs a ventilator and blood filtration at the Institute of Tropical Medicine, Bach Mai Hospital. Photo: BVCC.

Associate Professor, Dr. Do Duy Cuong added that measles is a disease with a very high infection rate through the respiratory tract, and can easily break out in the community if not controlled. Therefore, when a patient is diagnosed with measles, the patient needs to be immediately isolated for treatment to avoid spreading the disease to other cases.

It is worth mentioning that many people subjectively think that measles is just a mild disease that will go away on its own after a few days. However, in reality, the disease can cause dangerous complications if not treated promptly.

" Measles cases with complications such as upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia, increased liver enzymes, liver failure, multiple organ failure requiring dialysis, respiratory failure requiring endotracheal intubation, etc. account for about 5% of hospitalized patients. Cases with underlying diseases such as diabetes and immunodeficiency are at higher risk, easily progressing to severe conditions requiring mechanical intervention, " said Associate Professor, Dr. Cuong.

Experts emphasize that measles can be prevented by vaccination. The measles vaccine is a very safe and effective vaccine, and the Ministry of Health recommends that all children be vaccinated and re-vaccinated. Full vaccination not only helps protect yourself but also helps control the disease in the community.

Measles vaccine is included in the Expanded Immunization Program, given to children from 9 months, then given again when the child is 18 months old or 2 years old. For adults, when the immune system is weakened, they also need to be vaccinated again. If they have not been vaccinated or do not remember their vaccination history, they need to be vaccinated again with measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/gia-tang-benh-soi-o-nguoi-lon-nhieu-nguoi-bien-chung-nang-phai-loc-mau-can-thiep-ecmo-172250324142236843.htm