Govt stops use of 3 IV fluids after adverse reactions at Kota clinic

Kota: Public health authorities have stopped the use and distribution of notified batches of three different kinds of IV fluids across the state after three patients at the Sultanpur Community Health Centre (CHC) in Kota developed adverse reactions after being put on intravenous drips.The incident comes less than two weeks after five women died and several others were left in critical condition at Kota's New Medical College and J K Lon hospitals due to suspected hospital-acquired infections.Sultanpur CHC in-charge Dr Shyam Bihari Malav said three patients – identified as Chintu Meghwal (17), Dinesh Gochar (45) and Shabana (34) – reported symptoms like severe shivering, anxiety and dizziness shortly after being administered IV fluids Sunday.Gochar, who was suffering from diarrhoea, developed severe chills immediately after an IV fluid was administered and had to be referred to district headquarters when his condition did not improve. He is now under treatment at a private hospital, while the two other patients are stable at the CHC, Dr Malav said."The use of notified batches of three IV fluids has been stopped immediately. We have also written to the drug department for their testing and samples will be forwarded to Jaipur for analysis," he added.The three flagged IV fluids are RL Compound Sodium Lactate Injection, Sodium Chloride and Dextrose 500 ML and NS Sodium Chloride (0.9%) 500 ML.Confirming that the health department has ordered an immediate, statewide hold on the use and distribution of particular batches of the three IV fluids, Dr Jagdish Soni, joint director (medical and health), Kota, said he has written to state health authorities after receiving a report on the incident from Sultanpur CHC.No reports of adverse reactions from IV fluids have been received from any other health facility in the Kota division, Dr Soni added.