Kerala reported its first swine flu death with a patient, who was admitted to a private hospital in the city a week ago with severe respiratory distress, succumbing to the illness on Tuesday night.
Wilson Lukose (33) of Vettucaud here had been travelling from the Andaman and Nicobar islands to Chennai, from where he reached the capital by train.
Wilson Lukose (33) of Vettucaud here had been travelling from the Andaman and Nicobar islands to Chennai, from where he reached the capital by train.
Health Department officials said he was treated at some local hospitals before he got admitted to the KIMS hospital.
“He was very sick when he got admitted to the hospital. He had a history of haemoptysis [coughing up of blood]. He had to be put on ventilator because of respiratory distress. Following a suspicion about A (H1N1), the hospital authorities informed us and his throat swab sample was sent to National Institute of Communicable Diseases, New Delhi, on August 7. We got the result as A(H1N1) positive on August 9,” Additional Director of Health Services K.S. Anilkumar said.
He said the immediate cause of death was reported to be pneumothorax, a medical emergency resulting from chest trauma or excess pressure on lungs.
