Pune Dengue Death: Ruby Hall Clinic Details Advanced Treatment Given to 9-Year-Old Girl
Lohgaon, 22nd October 2026: Ruby Hall Clinic has detailed the treatment provided to a nine-year-old girl from Lohegaon who died on October 18 after developing severe dengue-related complications, including dengue shock syndrome, liver injury and kidney failure.
According to Dr Prashant Udavant, consultant paediatrician at Ruby Hall Clinic, the girl had been suffering from fever and abdominal pain for four to five days before visiting the hospital’s outpatient department. Blood investigations confirmed dengue infection, with IgM ELISA, IgG ELISA and NS1 antigen ELISA tests returning positive results.
The child’s platelet count was initially around 2 lakh but had dropped to approximately 50,000 by the time she was shifted to Ruby Hall Clinic in a critical condition on Saturday afternoon.
Dr Udavant said he had advised the family to admit the child to Ruby Hall Clinic following the initial evaluation. However, the family opted for a hospital closer to their residence in Lohegaon. She remained admitted there for approximately 24 hours before her condition deteriorated and she developed severe breathing difficulties.
On arrival at Ruby Hall Clinic, the girl had critically low blood pressure and severe respiratory distress. The medical team initiated resuscitation and shifted her to the intensive care unit (ICU).
Doctors diagnosed dengue shock syndrome with associated haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a potentially life-threatening condition characterised by an excessive inflammatory response.
The child’s ferritin levels had risen to more than 5,000, indicating severe inflammation, while lactate levels increased from 6 to 12, suggesting worsening tissue perfusion due to inadequate blood circulation.
Despite intravenous fluids, her blood pressure remained critically low and her urine output did not improve. She required vasopressin support to maintain blood pressure, followed by intubation and mechanical ventilation because of severe respiratory distress.
By Sunday morning, her SGPT liver enzyme level had risen to approximately 43,000, indicating severe liver injury. She was also experiencing kidney failure and progressive multi-organ dysfunction.
Given the severity of her condition, specialist teams initiated continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) to support her failing kidneys. The hospital also used CytoSorb-based blood purification alongside CRRT in an attempt to remove inflammatory mediators from the bloodstream.
However, her kidney function did not improve, and her blood pressure remained unresponsive to treatment. At approximately 8 pm on Sunday, she suffered a cardiac arrest. Despite resuscitation efforts, she could not be revived.
The death had earlier been reported as a suspected dengue fatality by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The civic body had sought the girl’s medical records and test reports, with the cause of death to be reviewed by its health audit committee.
