By Shweta Jena
After receiving the now-banned cough medication Coldrif, at least 14 additional children from the Chhindwara region of Madhya Pradesh are fighting for their lives in private as well as government hospitals in Nagpur due to renal failure.
According to lab results, diethylene glycol (DEG) poisoning caused renal failure in the six children who passed away at GMCH-Nagpur. It was discovered that 48.6% of the syrup samples contained DEG, a hazardous chemical used in brake fluid and as antifreeze. At first, it was thought that these deaths were caused by acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), but government physicians were concerned when individuals with a history of fever and cough had zero urine output.
All medical professionals will get recommendations from the Nagpur Municipal Corporation cautioning them against prescribing cough syrups, particularly to children under the age of five.
In response to the deaths of Madhya Pradesh children, the Maharashtra government on Sunday banned Coldrif, which Sresan Pharma produces in Sunguvarchathiram, Kancheepuram district, Tamil Nadu. According to lab findings, 48.6% of the samples contained DEG, a hazardous chemical used in braking fluid and as antifreeze.
Dr. Manish Tiwari, chief of the GMCH pediatrics department, stated, “Coldrif cough syrup was administered to six children who died after suffering from kidney failure. Lab results verified that the toxic effect of the medication was the cause of kidney failure.
Fourteen youngsters are presently admitted to government and private hospitals in Nagpur, according to Dr. Shashikant Shambharkar, Deputy Director of Health Services. “All six districts of the Nagpur division’s public health hospitals have been told not to prescribe this syrup. But none of our hospitals have Coldrif on hand or in stock. There have been no reports of this type of renal failure in children from the districts of Vidarbha or Nagpur,” he said.
The monitoring and surveillance are still in progress, according to NMC authorities. “While the children are still in critical condition, the results of a few more samples are still pending. When every test for a viral infection came back negative, our initial suspicion was confirmed,” they stated.