Leptospirosis

I have seen and treated many cases of leptospirosis for the past few months... In fact, my few on calls in the last few weeks, i receive few referral cases of leptospirosis either from the ward, other private hospitals or other peripheral hospitals within the northern region ... Once there's even up to three or four cases of leptospirosis in my ICU.

Well... we normally treat those leptospirosis cases based on history & clinical examinations & some baseline investigations cos if wait for the full confirmation results (the leptospiral serology can only be done IMR in KL), the patient is either fully recovered already or already RIP (cos the result will only be ready 2 weeks later on).. eg. Those patients high high clinical index of suspicions for Leptospirosis are those with history of jungle trekking or swimming in river or Hx of contact with mouse like MPPP workers etc... or those with history of fever with jaundice or liver impairment & renal impairment or Acute renal failure, bleeding tendencies & highly raised serum Creatine Kinase level(CK).

In fact, one of my husband friend's son (i know the son as well) get infected with leptospirosis (after swimming in the contaminated river) with life threatening condition. Severe septic shock requiring 4 inotropic support with multiorgan failure - oliguric acute renal failure(ARF) , acute liver failure, severe Disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIVC) with severe thrombocytopaenia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) on high ventilatory support (FiO2 1.0) with high PEEP and poor gas exchange ... He stayed in ICU for several weeks, and thank God he survived and recovered well...