Hyderabad, Apr 21(BNP): A nine-month-old infant suffering from severe respiratory complications was successfully treated and saved after being airlifted from Chhattisgarh to Hyderabad and undergoing intensive care for over a month at KIMS Cuddles, Kondapur.
According to Dr Parag Dekate, Clinical Director of Paediatrics and Head of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), the infant, a native of Raipur in Chhattisgarh, was initially admitted to a local hospital with symptoms of cold and cough. However, within a week, the child’s condition deteriorated rapidly. Despite being placed on a ventilator, oxygen levels continued to fall, leading to a critical situation.
The infant was diagnosed with severe adenoviral pneumonia, a serious lung infection caused by adenovirus, resulting in respiratory failure.
As the condition turned critical, KIMS Cuddles Kondapur Paediatric Intensive care transport team. reached Raipur. After stabilising the infant on a ventilator, the team coordinated with aviation services to safely airlift the child to Hyderabad.
Upon admission to the PICU at KIMS Cuddles, Kondapur, doctors identified severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) along with pneumothorax (air accumulation around the lungs). Advanced treatments, including High-Frequency Oscillatory Ventilation (HFOV) and inhaled nitric oxide, were administered, but the infant showed no significant improvement.
Given the worsening condition, the cardiothoracic surgery and PICU teams initiated VA-ECMO (Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation), a life-saving support system that temporarily performs the functions of the heart and lungs by oxygenating the blood and removing carbon dioxide.
The infant remained on ECMO support for 25 days, during which the medical team managed multiple complications, including high viral load, secondary infections, air leaks, bleeding, and fluctuations in blood pressure.
Gradually, the child’s condition improved, allowing doctors to successfully wean the infant off ECMO and ventilator support. After a total of 45 days of intensive treatment, the infant recovered fully and was discharged.
The multidisciplinary team involved in the treatment included PICU specialists Dr Kalyan Kunchapudi, Dr. Avinash Reddy P., Dr. Vinod Kumar, and Dr. Madhuri K.; cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Sandeep; and infectious disease specialist Dr. Ravi Teja.
“This case highlights the importance of timely intervention and access to advanced rescue therapies like ECMO. Airlifting a critically ill infant on ventilator support and managing prolonged ECMO requires a highly skilled and coordinated medical team,” said Dr Parag Dekate.
