Boy in Delhi Lost 22 Liters of Blood Due to Hookworm Infection, Cured

The 14-year-old boy, had complaints of blood loss in the stools and was anemic. He was diagnosed with hookworm infection at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SRGH), Delhi.

The hospital recommended the rarely-used vitamin capsule-size endoscopy to diagnose the reason behind anemia and gastrointestinal bleeding.

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‘Capsule endoscopy which uses a tiny wireless camera to take pictures of the digestive tract helped diagnose hookworm infection - the reason behind anemia and gastrointestinal bleeding.’

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"The child was suffering from iron deficiency anaemia for the last two years. He was being managed with repeated blood transfusions and received 50 units (22 liters) of blood transfusions in the last two years," said Anil Arora, Chairperson of Gastroenterology Department at SRGH.

Arora said the patient's diagnosis could not be established despite various repeated tests including esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), colonoscopy and radiographic studies of the intestine.

The patient's hemoglobin was low at 5.86. As the problem persisted and there was gastrointestinal bleeding, the doctor decided to go for the rarely-used Capsule endoscopy.

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Capsule endoscopy

Capsule endoscopy is a procedure that uses a tiny wireless camera to take pictures of the digestive tract. A capsule endoscopy camera sits inside a vitamin-sized capsule that the patient has to swallow.

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Calling the findings "shocking", Arora said: "We could see multiple hookworms buried in the small intestine and were seen actively sucking blood with dancing movements.

"Sucked blood could be seen in the cavity of hookworms, giving a red color to them. White colored hookworms who had not yet sucked blood were seen lying quietly in the small bowel."

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"After treatment, the child recovered and his hemoglobin increased to 11 gm/dl," said Arora, describing the health condition of the patient.

"Conventionally, hookworm infestation is found commonly in the Asian population. The manifestation of hookworms can be prevented by avoiding barefoot walking and maintenance of food hygiene," he said.

Source-IANS