HYDERABAD: In what has turned out to be a rare recovery from
Covid-19
pneumonia, a 36-year-old woman from Hyderabad recovered after 90 days of hospitalisation of which 41 days were spent on
ECMO
support.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support is the last line of treatment used for critical patients when all other treatments have been exhausted and multiple organs start to develop problems.
By substituting the function of vital organs in the body, ECMO allows the organs to rest and recuperate. It is used for managing the respiratory/renal complications/ multi-organ failure. Her remarkable recovery over 90 days from May 11 when she landed at the hospital from being completely unconscious for nearly two months, to going on ventilator support, undergoing tracheotomy, dialysis, physiotherapy and finally on a 1 litre oxygen support is a rare one, doctors said.
While initially doctors tried high flow oxygen support, she could not tolerate it and was put on the ventilator. Without any improvement, she had to be put on ECMO for one and half month.
“During this period, she had lots of fluctuations in her conditions, and on some occasions, we felt she will not survive. Multiple attempts were made to wean her off ECMO but they failed and over a period of time, her kidneys also got affected requiring dialysis support,” said Dr Ganshyam M Jagathkar, director (critical care) Medicover Hospital, where she was treated.
“Considering the condition in which the patient arrived and the long duration of ECMO support, it is really amazing to see the patient recovering to a full cycle. Patients on long ECMO support do not come out so easily,” he added. She had developed severe weakness of her muscles which made it very difficult for her to even stand or sit. Intense physiotherapy was started from an early period which helped her to regain her power to some extent.
“The tracheotomy tube was also removed and she was able to speak and eat on her own. Presently she is on 1 litre of oxygen support, awake, cheerful, eating, talking. But still weak and needs rehabilitation through extensive physiotherapy, good nutritive support,” added the doctor.
Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is the last line of treatment used for critical patients when all other treatments have failed and multiple organs start to develop problems