ECMO saves 71-year-old doctor from unusual presentation of ARDS in a malaria case
Times of India | 16 November 2024
KOLKATA: In an uncommon case a 71-year-old had developed severe respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) after he tested positive for malaria. The patient Dr Anjan Chatterjee had to be on ECMO support to come out of the complications at Manipal Broadway Unit in Kolkata. Doctors said they have not come across a malaria patient needing ECMO support.
Dr Chatterjee, a consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and an infertility specialist, was brought to the Emergency Department of the hospital on October 21, in a critical condition, shifted from another hospital. For five days, he had high-grade fever along with loss of appetite, headache, and joint pain. Tests at the previous hospital led to a diagnosis of possible involvement of Plasmodium vivax malaria with some cardiac issues.
Dr Chatterjee was directly admitted to Critical Care and placed on Non-Invasive Ventilation since his hypoxia was worsening. When his oxygen saturation did not improve he was put on mechanical ventilation. After informing the family about the risks and benefits, the medical team decided to institute Veno-Venous ECMO on October 23 as the last resort. He was shifted from the ICU to the HDU and then to the ward; he improved steadily and was discharged on Thursday.
Dr Susruta Bandyopadhyay, HOD - ICU and Critical Care said, “Dr Chatterjee was admitted with vivax malaria, which usually does not present as a severe disease. But in his case, he developed a deadly complication called ARDS. Vivax malaria presenting with ARDS is not unknown, but extremely uncommon. We had to put him on ECMO for about 10 days.”
Considering the severe complications and unusual presentation of malaria the hospital had formed a multidisciplinary doctor team.
“Dr Chatterjee’s recovery is nothing short of a remarkable feat. Even in cases as uncommon and complex as malaria induced respiratory failure with ARDS, patients rarely require ECMO, and in this instance, it was an absolute last resort, making it one of the rarest,” said Dr Subhasis Ganguly, internal medicinespecialist who was in the team.
The patient, Dr Chatterjee said, “One day, I started feeling feverish and got tested, which confirmed I had malaria. I consulted Dr Subhasis Ganguly thereafter, and I was shifted to the ICU of Manipal Broadway immediately. I didn't even know what happened for the next five days. Later I learned that I had been put on ECMO support. I feel much better now. I am grateful to the whole Manipal team for taking proper care and for their support.”