JP Hospital’s Emergency & Critical Care Department has been saving many critical patients’ lives due to the availability of specialist consultants on a 24X7 basis and better equipped in terms of treatment facilities & medical infrastructures. Recently a 28-year male from Badgaon, Sundergarh, was brought to the JP Emergency department in a comatose state with low blood pressure and excessive blood loss. The patient had very little chance of survival, it seemed.
The patient’s attendant informed that this patient was a painter and was on a painting assignment at a height of 15 ft. Suddenly he came in contact with a live electric wire, resulting in his fall due to electric shock, severely injuring his head with contusions and hemorrhage, spinal cord injury, ribs fracture, multiple facial bone fractures, lung contusion, pneumonia, and right eye injury.
Seeing the serious condition of this patient, the JP emergency department team headed by Dr. Shasank Sinha immediately decided to intubate the patient and put him on a mechanical ventilator. Initially, the attendant of the patient was reluctant to go for a ventilator but after counseling and explaining to them the benefits viz-z-viz patient’s serious conditions, they agreed and put their trust in JP doctors.
The patient was admitted under Dr.Arun Kumar Sahu Senior Consultant, Critical Care, and was immediately shifted to ICU. Life-saving measures including resuscitation with fluids & blood products were appropriately done in ICU. Gradually over a period of 24 hours, the patient’s blood pressure was stabilized. Clinical opinion was also taken from other specialists like Dr.Ghanashyam Mandal (ENT), Dr. R N Mohapatra (Neuroscience), Dr.Sipun Dash (Critical Care), Dr. Subhasish Panigrahi (Maxillo-facial), Dr.Sumita Samal (Ophthalmology).
The patient was managed conservatively. In view of the anticipated prolonged ventilation, tracheostomy – an opening created at the front of the neck so a tube can be inserted into the windpipe (trachea) to help you breathe- was performed. The patient was kept on a ventilator for almost two weeks. Gradually his neurological condition improved and became conscious much to the relief of JP’s medical team. Ventilator support was taken off gradually and finally, the patient was discharged in a clinically stable condition.
