Medical professionals in Bhopal are issuing a critical public health warning, urging patients diagnosed with pneumonia to strictly complete their full course of medication. The alarming rise in cases of severe relapse, often developing into life-threatening bilateral pneumonia, is being directly linked to patients stopping their antibiotics prematurely.
The Dangers of Incomplete Medication
Doctors caution that when patients feel better after a few days and discontinue their prescribed drugs, they risk a far more serious infection. This incomplete treatment is leading to a surge in bilateral pneumonia—commonly known as double pneumonia—where both lungs become inflamed simultaneously instead of just one. This condition can prove fatal, even for individuals who were previously healthy.
Unlike regular pneumonia, double pneumonia causes the air sacs in both lungs to fill with fluid or pus. This severely restricts the body's oxygen intake, forcing patients to become dependent on artificial oxygen support. In many severe instances reported in Bhopal, oxygen saturation levels have plummeted below 80, leading to a sharp increase in hospital oxygen consumption.
Hospitals Overwhelmed as Respiratory Illnesses Surge
The city is currently grappling with a sharp spike in respiratory ailments, driven by a combination of severe cold, persistent fog, and worsening air pollution. Government hospitals are bearing the brunt of this crisis.
Hamidia Hospital and others have reported nearly a 25 percent increase in OPD visits, with corridors crowded by patients suffering from pneumonia and similar conditions. The strain is evident across pulmonary wards, from the TB Hospital to AIIMS Bhopal, where beds are in short supply as admissions rise in direct proportion to the swelling OPD numbers.
Vulnerable Groups and Unprecedented Severity
Dr. Nishant Srivastava, Head of the Department of TB and Chest Medicine at GMC Bhopal, provided insight into the current situation. He explained that while winter typically brings a wave of respiratory infections, the current phase is notably more severe.
"Patients with pre-existing conditions like asthma, COPD, or other chronic illnesses are particularly vulnerable," stated Dr. Srivastava. However, he highlighted a concerning trend: even individuals with no prior medical history are being severely affected by these aggressive pneumonia cases, underscoring the seriousness of the outbreak.
The collective message from Bhopal's medical community is clear and urgent. Completing the full prescribed treatment is not a suggestion but a necessity to prevent relapse, avoid life-threatening complications, and alleviate the immense pressure on the city's healthcare infrastructure.
