Udupi: A man who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at his residence has made a full recovery with no neurological deficit at Kasturba Hospital, Manipal. Doctors from Kasturba Hospital were in the neighbourhood when he collapsed. They began CPR within seconds and intubated him at his residence. He was shifted to the emergency department with chest compressions continuing. After multiple defibrillator shocks, circulation returned at the end of nearly an hour, stated a hospital release.Both lungs were flooded with pulmonary oedema, and the heart could not sustain circulation. The department of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery placed him on veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (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 ECMO 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, COO, 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.”
