Dr. Goswami Parth Rajendragiri
Pathology
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
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Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
My father is 79 years old and has been diabetic for the past 30 years. He had a bypass in the past and also a stroke. The day before yesterday, he developed a little discomfort, gas, or light pain in his abdomen and had a fever, which started at 99.5 degrees Fahrenheit and went up to 101.5 degrees Fahrenheit, along with body pain. When the temperature rose, he also had chills. His throat and chest are clear. His fever persists despite taking the tablet Paracetamol. There is no discomfort in the abdomen now though he feels frail and sleepy. We were concerned about his chills and have done a hemogram and urine analysis. The platelets were a little low. We also had a rapid dengue test. The doctor says it could be viral fever. My question is, is it okay for platelets to be around 1 lakh, and does viral fever lower platelet count? Also, is feeling sleepy and weak normal? When will the platelets recover?
He is under the following medications currently.
Kindly review the report and reply, doctor.
Hello,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I read your query and can understand your concern.
I reviewed your father's reports (attachments removed to protect the patient's identity).
The NS1 (non-structural protein) and Ig M (immunoglobulin M) are negative for dengue. So dengue seems less likely, a common cause of low platelet.
Your father has a fever, abdominal pain, normal CBC (complete blood count), raised ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate), and bone pain. So it seems most likely to be a viral infection. In a viral infection, fatigue and sedation can also be felt because of various cytokines released in the blood.
The platelet count can be low in a viral infection due to platelet destruction. It will be recovered in 7 to 10 days. However, another CBC must also be done again after 2 to 3 days to check the platelet count.
I suggest giving him vitamin C tablets. However, please consult a specialist doctor, discuss with them and start taking the medications with their consent.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and take care.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Thank you for the reply.
How many days can the fever last? His fever started yesterday, and now it is about 100.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Should we do just platelet or CBC? And can it be done the day after tomorrow?
Hello,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I read your query and can understand your concern.
I suppose it is a viral infection, as the fever lasts three to four days.
The analgesic could not able to relieve fever completely, especially Paracetamol. However, the intramuscular injection of Paracetamol can be more effective in reducing fever if his fever is much more troublesome.
I suggest you repeat CBC (complete blood count) after two days. I also suggest giving him more fruit juice and green leafy vegetables.
I hope this helps.
Thank you and take care.
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Pathology
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