4-year-old Gets Cured of Acute Respiratory Distress and Pneumonia after Undergoing the Intense Procedure of ECMO

• Suffering from pneumonic infection, 4-year-old Swastika was diagnosed with a seizure disorder.
• She has been under the treatment of multiple anti-epileptics previously as well.
• This time after she was hit by another epileptic fit, she was hospitalized at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi.
• The X-ray reports revealed a patch in her lung that worsened her condition and led to acute respiratory distress.
• Though she was immediately put on ventilator support with advanced settings, it was observed that her lungs were unable to supply sufficient oxygen to the blood. 
• Swastika was then put on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation procedure (ECMO) for 5 days.
• The ECMO treatment is not provided to children of her age as even many of the adult patients are weak enough to bear the treatment.    
• It is a procedure that is provided to those who require prolonged cardiac and respiratory support. 
• According to senior consultant and paediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr. Muthu Jothi, although Swastika's heart was functioning perfectly, her lungs were not in a good condition and had to be operated.
• While one litre of fluid was drained from the right chest cavity, 200ml was drained from the other on the left side.
• The fluid accummulated in her lungs due to pneumonia and disrupted the organ's normal functioning,
• With the ECMO machine connected to her lungs, Swastika improved gradually post surgery. 

Source: Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Media Update