A deserted road in front of Hawa Mahal during the lockdown on Sunday
JAIPUR: Amid spiraling mucormycosis cases, doctors performing surgeries say debridement is not complete treatment of the ailment as drugs are also needed for it. A three-pronged treatment approach is required for addressing mucormycosis, which includes controlling sugar levels, anti-fungals and surgical debridement.
Sawai Man Singh Medical College has issued treatment guidelines for mucormycosis, which mentions two different treatments. One is medical treatment and the other is surgical. It pointed out that surgeries are conducted to facilitate medical treatment and it alone cannot be a complete process as it requires cure from anti-fungals.
The treatment, which includes liposomal amphotericin B as the drug of choice, can be replaced by conventional amphotericin or amphotericin B deoxycholate as an option. In general, 2-3 weeks of amphotericin B is required but it might have to be increased depending on clinical profile of the patient. As a step down therapy, tab poscanozole is given for up to three weeks.
However, in surgical treatment, early debridement of all necrotic tissue by a team of expert ENT and ophthalmologists to decrease the load of fungus and facilitate medical treatment.
Patients suffering from Covid who have diabetes mellitus and have taken steroids are at high risk of getting infected with mucormycosis.
SMS Hospital has been conducting surgical debridement for the last seven days and conducted almost 40 such surgeries.
“Debridement has its own benefits as it helps in removing dead necrotic tissues so that fungal load decreases and chances of local and distant spread reduces. It facilitates for proper cleaning, regular endoscopy and better drug delivery to the sites of infection. It also prevents secondary infection and reduces pressure on eye and brain tissues,” said Dr Pawan Singhal, professor (ENT), SMS Medical College, who is among the doctors performing surgical debridement.
However, doctors say surgical debridement is not the only treatment, as patients should also be treated with anti-fungals.
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