16 patients develop complications after being given saline

JAGATSINGHPUR:  Sixteen patients admitted to district headquarters hospital (DHH) for treatment of diarrhoea complained of uneasiness soon after being administered saline. It is suspected that the rigors and pain the patients faced are likely due to the substandard quality of saline, which is reportedly supplied to the DHH by the Odisha State Medical Corporation. 

Sources say, nearly 20 patients were admitted to the diarrhoea ward of the DHH in the last two days. As soon as they were administered saline, 16 of them started having rigors and complained of severe pain. Though the medical staff immediately discontinued the intravenous fluid (IV), condition of two children, aged one and four years, deteriorated and they had to be shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital. 

The condition of others is stated to be stable now and they are recuperating in the DHH. “I was suffering from diarrhoea and was admitted to the DHH. After saline was administered, I started feeling nausea and had rigors. The nurse stopped the IV after I complained. Maybe there was something wrong with the saline,” said one of the patients Diptimala Raut. 

Other patients had similar complaints and said they felt extreme discomfort after taking 200-300 ml of the saline drip. Contacted, additional district medical officer (ADMO) of the DHH Ajay Swain informed that the patients were administered Ringer’s lactate solution and its expiry date is 2024. “After patients complained, we immediately stopped the IV solution and have sought the intervention of the drugs inspector to find out reasons for reaction to the saline,” he said.