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“The patient was critical with multiple morbidities such as asthma, diabetes, pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome”
New Delhi, July 16, 2018:
Doctors from Fortis Escorts Heart Institute recently saved the life of a 60-year-old female patient admitted in a critical condition with extremely low oxygen levels accompanied by several other morbidities. In addition to this, she was feverish, shivering and had difficulty in breathing. Dr Rajat Aggarwal, Principal Consultant & In charge-Critical Care Medicine along with his team took up the challenging case.
The patient, Ranno had an elongated history of asthma for which she had been on oral steroids since long. Additionally, she was suffering from Type 2 Diabetes. She had also developed pneumonia, leading to a severe lung condition – Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). As a result, fluid had filled up the air sacs in the lungs leading to low oxygen levels and increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. ARDS can be a potentially life-threatening condition, if not treated on time it can lead to organ failure as the organs do not get the required level of oxygen to function.
Ranno was immediately put on ventilator support, post diagnosis of her condition. This, however was not of much help as her oxygen levels were only 80%.The multiple health condition of the patient, posed a threat to her survival. The patient was put on ‘Veno-venous Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation’ (VVECMO), to offer support to the lungs and the treatment was initiated quickly and effectively. There was no serious bleeding, and the patient’s vital parameters and oxygen levels stabilised within 2 to 3 days of the treatment. Within 10 days, she was weaned of the VVECMO machine. After a three-week hospital stay, Ranno was discharged.
Dr. Rajat Agrawal, Principal Consultant & In charge – Critical Care Medicine shared, “When I first saw the patient, we were not sure about her survival. Her oxygen saturation level were 80% and her blood pressure was dropping rapidly. The family was counselled about ECMO and consented to the procedure. Over the next 3 to 4 days, she was stabilised and finally came out of the critical phase. It was not an easy case as there were so many underlying conditions, all of which had to be dealt with. There were multiple complications involved. The entire treatment process required us to be quick, efficient and thorough.”
Dr. Kousar Ali Shah, Zonal Director, Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, said, “The success of this case lies in the coordinated efforts of the nurses, perfusionists and intensivists. They displayed excellent technical skills in tense situations that required quick, on the spot decision-making. I am happy to report that the patient is leading a healthier life now.”
Extra Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a machine which acts as a heart-lung bypass. It can support and perform the functions of the lung and the heart, individually and together. The ECMO circuit acts as an artificial heart and lung for the patient during ECMO therapy. It can be used in patients of all ages. ECMO continues until the underlying cardiac or lung problem is improved or resolved. The typical course is around five days, but in some cases, ECMO support can be continued for up to 25 to 30 days.
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