Doctors In Bhubaneswar’s SUMUM Turn Around Critical Elderly Patient

Bhubaneswar: Doctors at SUM Ultimate Medicare here battled for 57 days to successfully turn around a 79-year-old man down with severe pneumonia.

Nikunja Kishore Das was admitted to the hospital on September 23 with fever, shortness of breath and bilateral pneumonia. He was immediately admitted to the ICU and put on non-invasive ventilation.

It was a tricky and delicate case, as the patient had multiple comorbidities including diabetes, hypertension, hypothyroid, chronic kidney disease (CKD), arterial fibrillation besides undergoing angioplasty.

A team of doctors comprising cardiologists, nephrologists, pulmonologist, plastic surgeon and intensivists treated the patient, pursuing multidisciplinary treatment approach.

He responded to antibiotics and other medication, and his condition gradually improved.

Within two weeks, he was shifted to a cabin, said Dr Anand Mishra, Senior Consultant, Critical Care.

However, after spending two days in the cabin, Das started to show irregular heartbeat, urinary bleeding and had difficulty in breathing due to which he was shifted back to the ICU and put on ventilator.

He also required dialysis and other blood products multiple times due to renal failure and low haemoglobin.

Prone ventilation was also done several times due to severe pneumonia and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS), and Tracheostomy was also done because of prolonged stay on ventilator, informed Dr Mishra.

Unanticipated complications during the course of treatment made it more challenging, Dr Mishra said, adding that it was difficult to wean the patient from the ventilator due to his cardiac and renal co-morbid conditions. It was gradually achieved over the next few days and the tracheostomy was closed.

The patient was shifted back to the cabin with one liter oxygen support. Regular physiotherapy and proper diet plan helped in early recovery post tracheostomy closure.

The patient was finally discharged from the hospital after a stay of 57 days.

Round-the-clock vigil by ICU team and daily care plan by the multidisciplinary team helped in winning the tough he battle, while repeated counselling of family members with a positive attitude was the core element for successful outcome of the treatment, Dr Mishra said.