BENGALURU: A six-month-old child from Raipur in Chhattisgarh was airlifted to a hospital in Bengaluru on July 2 after being diagnosed with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), a severe medical condition characterised by high blood pressure and kidney failure.
The baby, who was travelling to Raipur with family from Canada, started experiencing diarrhoea which rapidly escalated to worsening kidney functions. Doctors at Rainbow Children’s Hospital, Marathahalli, responded to the situation and the baby was airlifted to Bengaluru last week. They observed that the baby needed specialised medical interventions such as hemodialysis and plasma exchange therapy.
“Transporting an unstable infant with rapidly fluctuating blood pressure and compromised breathing due to excessive fluid in the body is difficult even by road. Air travel introduces different challenges as changes in ambient pressures can lead to rapid deterioration of health in case of a critically ill infant,” Dr Deepak Ramesh, consultant-paediatric, ICU, Rainbow Children’s Hospital explained.
Due to limited connectivity to Raipur, doctors prepared everything a day in advance. Packing delicate equipment such as ventilators, ultrasound machines, monitors along with all the medications was done ensuring compatibility of all equipment and connections for use inside the aircraft, and be prepared for an early morning take-off the next day. The return journey was smooth and the baby continues to be in the paediatric ICU at the hospital receiving appropriate care.
Doctors explained that HUS is a condition in which patients experience progressive kidney failure, along with symptoms such as blood-stained urine, body swelling due to fluid accumulation, high blood pressure, breathing difficulties, seizures, and a sudden drop in haemoglobin and platelet levels. When these symptoms occur together, they can lead to various complications and become life-threatening within a short period unless immediate medical attention is sought.
