Victim still critical, docs say she can get jaundice

The condition of the 23-year-old gang rape victim remains critical and chances are that she has jaundice, doctors at Safdarjung Hospital indicated on Thursday.

Doctors said she is conscious, alert and communicating only through gestures as the tubes of the ventilator through which she is breathing her are hindering her speech. “She continues to be in stable condition,” said B D Athani, medical superintendent of the Safdarjung Hospital.

He added that she was making an attempt to breathe on her own. “Our immediate and foremost aim is to get her out of the ICU (intensive care unit) and get her stable,” said Athani.

“There is a danger of infection spreading in her body,” said a doctor, adding that as of now the vital parameters were within the normal range. “Blood pressure, respiratory rate and urinary output are normal.

Her blood platelet level has come down since yesterday at 41,000. She can get jaundice because her bilirubin levels have increased.” The normal platelet count in a healthy individual should be between 1,50,000 and 4,50,000.

According to one of the doctors treating her, the lower part of her vagina has been severly damaged. But the ovaries and uterus have not been affected.

The doctors added that she will be on life support for more time and have to depend on total parenteral nutrition (TPN), which provides nutrients to the patient via the intravenous route.

They also fear she could get liver infection when she stops responding to antibiotics. “We are giving her the best antibiotics but she will stop reacting to them after a while,” said a doctor. Reportedly the victim has written several notes to her family. In one of them she asked for punishment for those who assaulted her.

Doctors had conducted an over two-hour surgery to remove most of her intestines that had become gangrenous.