A nine-year-old girl from Lohegaon died on October 18 after developing severe dengue-related complications, including dengue shock syndrome, liver injury, kidney failure and progressive multi-organ dysfunction, according to details released by Ruby Hall Clinic in Pune.
The girl had experienced fever and abdominal pain for four to five days before visiting the hospital’s outpatient department. Dr Prashant Udavant, consultant paediatrician at Ruby Hall Clinic, said blood tests confirmed dengue infection through positive IgM ELISA, IgG ELISA and NS1 antigen ELISA results.
Her platelet count was initially around 2 lakh but had fallen to approximately 50,000 by the time she was shifted to Ruby Hall Clinic in a critical condition on Saturday afternoon. Dr Udavant said he had advised the family to admit her to Ruby Hall Clinic after the initial evaluation, but the family chose a hospital closer to their residence in Lohegaon. She remained admitted there for about 24 hours before her condition deteriorated and she developed severe breathing difficulties.
When she arrived at Ruby Hall Clinic, the child had critically low blood pressure and severe respiratory distress. Doctors initiated resuscitation and moved her to the intensive care unit. The medical team diagnosed dengue shock syndrome along with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis, a potentially life-threatening condition involving an excessive inflammatory response.
The hospital said her ferritin level had risen above 5,000, indicating severe inflammation, while lactate levels increased from 6 to 12, suggesting worsening tissue perfusion. Despite intravenous fluids, her blood pressure remained critically low and her urine output did not improve. She required vasopressin to support her blood pressure, followed by intubation and mechanical ventilation because of respiratory distress.
By Sunday morning, her SGPT liver enzyme level had risen to approximately 43,000, indicating severe liver injury. She was also experiencing kidney failure and progressive multi-organ dysfunction. Specialist teams began continuous renal replacement therapy to support her failing kidneys. Ruby Hall Clinic also used CytoSorb-based blood purification alongside the therapy in an attempt to remove inflammatory mediators from her bloodstream.
The hospital said her kidney function did not improve and her blood pressure remained unresponsive to treatment. At approximately 8 pm on Sunday, she suffered a cardiac arrest. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.
The Pune Municipal Corporation had earlier reported the case as a suspected dengue fatality. The civic body sought the girl’s medical records and test reports, and the cause of death is to be reviewed by its health audit committee. The committee’s review will determine how the case is recorded in the city’s official dengue mortality assessment.
