IPK Releases National Protocol for Chikungunya Management

The Pedro Kourí Institute of Tropical Medicine (IPK) has released version 1.2 of the National Protocol for Management and Investigations for Patients with Chikungunya Fever, developed by the Ministry of Public Health (Minsap).

The guide, published on the IPK's institutional Facebook profile, outlines the disease's phases from the acute stage to the chronic one and establishes clinical criteria for care in hospitals and intensive care units.

It also defines suspected and confirmed cases, in addition to providing guidance for differential diagnosis with Dengue and Zika.

Sudden fever and intense joint pain are noted among the most frequent manifestations, while neurological, cardiac, and renal complications are considered high-risk in older adults, young children, and people with chronic diseases.

The protocol recommends multidisciplinary care for severe patients, with close monitoring of vital functions and follow-up after discharge to prevent late complications.

Guidelines for symptomatic treatment in each phase are also established, with emphasis on pain control and hydration.

The neonatology section addresses the vertical transmission of the virus from mother to child, with measures for clinical surveillance and molecular diagnosis in exposed newborns.

Observation should extend until 15 days of life to detect potential complications, the document advises.

The document incorporates references from the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health Organization, as well as recent studies on neurological and cardiovascular complications associated with the virus.

With this protocol, the national health system reinforces its preparedness in the face of the outbreak that began in July in Matanzas and the presence of cases in several provinces, including Havana.