Infant suffers cardiac arrest, post-Covid multi-organ failure; dialysis, CPR saves life

Rahul (name changed) was two years old when he developed a high fever and breathing problems. His parents had no idea how serious the situation was. The baby was transported to a hospital in New Delhi, but he went into cardiac arrest minutes later and could only be revived after 30 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Rahul (name changed) was two years old when he developed a high fever and breathing problems. His parents had no idea how serious the situation was. The baby was transported to a hospital in New Delhi, but he went into cardiac arrest minutes later and could only be revived after 30 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

“Within minutes of arriving at the hospital, the child suffered a cardiac arrest. It was especially disturbing for me as a doctor because he is just two years old. Examinations revealed that he had developed Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C), a rare disorder in which his own body was trying to kill multiple organs. As a result, the lungs, heart, brain and kidneys had suffered considerable damage,” said Dr Sayed Mustafa Hasan, a senior doctor at the hospital.

“The baby was unable to pass even urine, resulting in a severe condition. He was also experiencing speech difficulty and loss of eye contact with others as a result of the post-Covid effects. We immediately began Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT) after reviving him with CPR. The CRRT removed all waste from his body. The therapy continued non-stop for 60 hours. To eliminate infections, we employed the cytosorb dialysis filter. We also worked to normalise his blood pressure,” he added.

Rahul spent 15-16 days on a ventilator in the ICU. During this time, a team of specialists attempted to restore his kidneys, heart and lungs to normal function. Along with CRRT, he was also given hemodialysis and perinoteal dialysis to remove the infection. His condition improved over time, and he was eventually discharged from the hospital.

“Rahul’s heart, lungs and kidneys were not functioning when he was brought to us. It took a massive effort by several paediatric specialities across the hospital to save the child’s life. We used a variety of technologies to keep track of the health of various organs,” said Neha Bhandari, a senior paediatrician at the hospital.

“It was a very rare case and less than 1% of kids suffer from such severe infection, leading to multiple organ dysfunction. Finally, he is rid of all infections and he can resume his normal life,” she said.

A sudden cardiac arrest is rare in children, but the possibility exists. Hence, all children need regular medical check-ups. These can help identify risks that may develop into life-threatening situations. Major hospitals in India have seen cases when children, who had healed from Covid, developed life-threatening post-Covid complications,” said Dr Sameer Punia, another senior doctor at the hospital.

“We lost all hope when we learned that Rahul had suffered a cardiac arrest. I urge other parents to go for regular check-ups of their kids to avoid such situations,” Rahul’s mother said.