Ganga Ram Hospital becomes first in India to have VITT test

New Delhi: The national capital's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital has become the first centre in India to perform confirmatory test for Covid Vaccine Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT). The Hematology Department at the hospital is the only centre in India doing the gold standard Platelet aggregation test in the country.

The gold standard confirmatory test is presence of heparin dependant platelet aggregation of normal platelets by patient's serum in presence of low dose of heparin. The samples of serum of suspected VITT are being received through courier and prompt diagnosis is made within 48 hours of receiving samples, said the hospital in a statement.

The rare cases of blood clot and low platelets after receipt of adenovirus vector Covid-19 vaccines are referred as VITT or Thrombosis with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (TTS). The cases have been reported since early 2021 from Denmark, United Kingdom, Germany and Canada. The WHO issued guidelines for diagnosis and management of TTS on August 11.

Dr (Prof) Jyoti Kotwal, Chairperson, Department of Hematology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said, "Since the index case of June 2021, we have received and diagnosed six more samples of VITT. Interestingly, five samples came from Kerala and one from neighbouring hospitals of Delhi."

In a first case of Vaccine Induced Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) referred from Army Hospital R&R which was diagnosed and confirmed by Hematology Department at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the patient could not survive.

The diagnosis is suspected if symptoms occur between day 3 to day 30 of vaccination and there is thrombocytopenia. Further if d-dimer is raised and PF heparin antibody (HPF4 IgG) is present one can make a presumptive diagnosis. The incidence reported from world is 1 in 100,000 to 1 in 127,000 vaccine doses.

The hospital is doing the diagnostic and confirmatory test since June 2021 and is referral centre which has since confirmed 7 cases of vaccine induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, said the hospital in the statement.