Rainbow Children’s Hospital in Hyderabad saved an 18-month-old baby boy from severe pneumonia and ARDS, demonstrating exceptional medical expertise and commitment. The hospital’s teamwork, coordination, and heroic efforts were instrumental in saving the child, marking the first such medical intervention in the country.
A child with ARDS (Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome) due to Influenza pneumonia was on respiratory support for a week, including high-frequency ventilation, 100% oxygen, and maximum support on HFOV. To save his life, he needed to initiate ECMO and be transferred to a hospital that can manage such patients. ECMO, or Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, involves pumping blood outside the body to a heart-lung machine, which removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-filled blood back to the body, aiding lung healing and maintaining oxygen levels.
Dr Dinesh Kumar Chirla, Director ofIntensive Care Services said, “Asa leading pediatric ECMOcentre with survival rates comparable to developed countries, as soon as we received the call for transport, the whole team including Pediatric Intensivist, Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgeon, ECMO trained perfusionist, ECMO trained intensive care nurse and the Biomedical team geared up to initiate transport with ICATT team and make all arrangements to conduct ECMO safely in Goa hospital and transfer the child here.”
