Tag: Regency Superspecialty Hospital.

Health

Chronic liver disease can add to risk of death in COVID-19 patients, says doctors at Regency Superspecialty Hospital, Lucknow

Sep 7, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Chronic liver disease, #COVID-19, #Regency Superspecialty Hospital.

Lucknow, September 07, 2020: Doctors at the Regency Superspeciality Hospital, Lucknow have warned the residents of Uttar Pradesh, which is witnessing a sudden rise in coronavirus cases in last one month, to be extra cautious if they have any chronic liver disease such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, fatty liver or cirrhosis because they have the greater risk than other individuals for severe COVID-19 and the occurrence of complications including prolonged hospital stay and mortality. 

According to a recent study by Asia Pacific COVID-19 Liver Injury Spectrum conducted across 13 countries, including India has found out that 43 percent of those who were in the advanced stages of the disease with cirrhosis or scarring due to the ailments died of Covid-19. This is much higher than the 3 to 5% mortality rate in the general population. 

“As a result of lockdowns and suspension of usual clinical care activities for the benefit of patients with COVID-19, the pandemic is having a major effect on the management of patients with chronic liver diseases, in particular those with cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma and in liver transplantation programmes. The potential onset of COVID-19 in these patients (with chronic liver disease) raises two questions: will patients with chronic liver disease develop a more severe form of COVID-19; and will COVID-19 aggravate the course of their liver disease and induce liver-related mortality. Patients with cirrhosis seem to be at greater risk than other individuals for severe COVID-19 and the occurrence of complications, including mortality, regardless of the aetiology of liver disease. If these patients have associated metabolic comorbidities that include obesity, diabetes and hypertension, then they are at higher risk of developing severe COVID-19,” said Dr Praveen Jha, MD, DM, Consultant Gastroenterology, Regency Superspeciality Hospital, Lucknow. 

Therefore, it is very important to monitor liver enzymes in Covid-19 patients. This is especially true because the liver is the only organ that can regenerate after an injury,  so patients do not show symptoms of a liver disease till the liver is about 80% damaged. It has been observed that during the COVID-19 crisis, attention has been diverted from chronic viral hepatitis, despite the fact that global mortality attributed to viral hepatitis, which has been estimated by the WHO Global Hepatitis Report 2017 to be approximately 1.5 million per year, currently remains higher than that from COVID-19, while resources for public health interventions are already shrinking. The doctor feels the greatest effect of COVID-19 on liver-related morbidity and mortality remains to come.

“The global economic crisis has already begun. Bankruptcies, job losses, money and food shortage, social isolation and family issues will lead to increases in alcohol and drug use, whereas access to care will suffer from the collapse of health-care structures and organizations, and from government policies diverting resources elsewhere. This situation could translate into a substantial increase in blood-borne virus transmissions as well as in alcoholic liver disorders and decompensations, resulting in many more patients with cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplantation and liver-related death. These unforeseen effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will take years to become visible, but they are inevitable,” Dr Praveen Jha, MD, DM, Consultant Gastroenterology, Regency Superspeciality Hospital added. 

The patients of chronic liver diseases must not ignore their health during this time and adhere to the guidelines given by the government and WHO. For regular treatment, patients can consult their doctors through telemedicine and must visit the hospital if any emergency arises.

News

With the rise in COVID cases in UP, Hospitals see rise in the teleconsultation services

Aug 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Director Renal Sciences, #DM-Nephrology, #Dr Deepak Dewan, #Dr Pradeep Joshi, #MD, #MS M.Ch.(GI Surgery), #Regency Superspecialty Hospital., #Senior Consultant

With increasing coronavirus cases and people’s subsequent hesitation to step out of home, Regency Superspecialty Hospital, Lucknow has witnessed a surge in the teleconsultation OPD services in the last one month. The hospital administration has revealed that 60 per cent of the online and teleconsultations pertaining to health conditions like chronic kidney diseases and liver-related problems have increased as many districts in Uttar Pradesh are going through a partial lockdown to curb the spread of the life-threatening virus.

Under a month of its launch, the teleconsultation service launched by Regency Superspecialty Hospital, saw an increase in adoption, owing to people’s awareness towards the importance of regular health check-ups and limited availability of doctors for an in-person consultation. Teleconsultation has seen massive growth due to the pressing demand for digital access to doctors and medical services during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for chronic kidney disease patients, for whom delays in treatment can have severe life-threatening consequences.

“It is highly appreciable that people are staying indoors and turning to teleconsultation for their healthcare needs. In such unprecedented times, when our mobility is restricted, teleconsultation services have come as a saving grace. We at Regency Superspecialty Hospital want to ensure that all the patients are provided appropriate medical advice through teleconsultation sessions. We believe through the launch of this service most of our patients will not have any break in their medical treatment as all our senior consultants are available through this technology interface. Social distancing processes have created their own challenges in healthcare services and we are creating solutions to meet our patient expectations. All our services at the hospitals are continuing and our emergency department is open 24/7 to extend medical attention,” said Dr Deepak Dewan, MD, DM-Nephrology, Director Renal Sciences, Regency Superspecialty Hospital.

Patients have been going through their routine follow up consultations through this technology so that they can have continued access to their care. Through the launch of the teleconsultation services, Regency Superspecialty Hospital has created a new model of hospital-based patient care coupled with care wherever applicable.

“At this time the anxiety levels, particularly among patients with chronic diseases, is high and having access to their doctors gives these patients’ extreme comfort and confidence. Managing chronic diseases during the coronavirus pandemic has been difficult and requires close coordination between multiple medical services, scheduling appointments, and coming up with solutions to innumerable problems that crop up along the way. With the rise of COVID-19 cases in India and the subsequent lockdown enforcement for the safety of the larger public, there were a number of patients who found it difficult to get the medical help they required. But teleconsultation helped them to maintain continuity of care through local centers,” added Dr Pradeep Joshi, MS M.Ch.(GI Surgery), Senior Consultant, Regency Superspecialty Hospital.