Media Release
Udupi, Jul 17: A man who collapsed at his residence with a sudden cardiac arrest has made a complete recovery with no neurological deficit at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. Out of hospital cardiac arrest carries a mortality of over 90 per cent in India, where only about five per cent of the population knows how to begin chest compressions immediately.
Doctors from Kasturba Hospital, Manipal, happened to be in the neighbourhood when he collapsed. They began cardiopulmonary resuscitation within seconds and intubated him at the residence. He was shifted to the emergency department with compressions continuing, and after multiple defibrillator shocks, circulation returned at the end of nearly an hour.
Both lungs were flooded with pulmonary oedema, and the heart could not sustain circulation. The cardiovascular and thoracic surgery department established him on veno-arterial ECMO, which takes over the work of the heart and lungs, in the cardiothoracic operation theatre within 30 minutes of the request. He was weaned off after 36 hours, extubated, and found to have no neurological deficit. He has been transferred to cardiology for an implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
Dr Shyam K Ashok, consultant, department of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, said, “Everything came down to time. The compressions that started within seconds of the collapse are the reason this gentleman is with his family today without any brain injury. We could get him on the circuit inside 30 minutes because the theatre, the circuit and the teams are kept ready around the clock.”
Dr Sudhakar Kantipudi, chief operating officer, MAHE Teaching Hospitals, said, “This reflects an entire system that moves as a single unit when a life is at stake. I would urge the public to learn basic CPR. Here it was doctors who were next door, but the person who saves the next life could be anyone.”
The case was managed by Dr Shyam K Ashok, Dr Vijaykumar, Dr Sai, Dr Ganesh Kamath, and Dr Shubham of the CTVS department, along with perfusionist Halish from Manipal College of Health Professions.