Toddler from Thanjavur recovers after two cardiac arrests, multi-organ failure

The child was suffering from fever for one week, had a lung infection and was rushed to Rela Hospital on ventilator support after he got a first cardiac arrest. He was brought from Thanjavur to Chennai via road and suffered a second cardiac arrest and multi-organ failure due to cardiac pulmonary arrest or cardiorespiratory arrest. His oxygen level dropped to 80 per cent due to respiratory failure ARDS, and his heart function was only 5 to 10 per cent. The child was put on ECMO immediately.

“ECMO or ECMO CPR is the most advanced procedure for resuscitation in a cardiorespiratory arrest patient. This particular case gives hope that with ECMO we can save the life of a dying patient even in the last few minutes,” said Dr C Arumugam, senior consultant Cardiovascular - Thoracic Surgery, Rela Hospital. Doctors said the case is very unique because of an ECMO resuscitation after cardiac pulmonary arrest or cardiac respiratory for a young child.

The boy slowly started improving and after three days his heart function was 30 to 35 per cent. After five days, the heart function was normal which is 60 to 65 per cent and normalised after nine days of lung function. After 10 days, the ECMO was removed and his oxygenation remained stable. A week later, the child recovered completely and was discharged.