A miraculous intervention saved the life of a two-year-old toddler with a heart defect, who suffered a cardiac arrest in a Vistara flight from Bengaluru bound to New Delhi. The child fell unconscious after suffering a cardiac arrest and stopped breathing, while her lips and fingers started turning blue.
The incident caused flight authorities to make an emergency landing in Nagpur on Sunday. A distress call was announced in an apparent bid to save the baby's life.
However, fortune shined on the toddler as five doctors, who were travelling in the same flight, sprang into action immediately after receiving the news and attempted to resuscitate the baby. Four of them were from All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and one from Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS).
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), AIIMS New Delhi said that the doctors examined the child and noted that her pulse was absent, her extremities were cold and she was not breathing.
"It was a 2 year old cyanotic female child who was operated outside for intracardiac repair , was unconscious and cyanosed," said AIIMS. The term 'cyanotic' refers to persons who are born with congenital heart problems, while cyanosed refers to the condition where the skin starts to turn blue due to lack of oxygen in the blood.
After this, the doctors immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), a lifesaving technique for those whose hearts stop breathing, with limited resources on the child.
"Successfully IV canulla was placed , oropharyngeal airway was put and emergency response was initiated by whole team of residents on board- and the baby for brought to ROSC- return of circulation," said AIIMS New Delhi.
However, the efforts of the doctors were complicated when the toddler suffered another cardiac arrest for which an automated external defibrillator (AED) was used to resuscitate her. As the situation went critical, the airline team coordinated with Nagpur airport authorities for an emergency landing.
The doctors worked to revive the baby as the flight was rerouted to Nagpur, after which she was taken in an ambulance stationed at the airport and handed over to a pediatrician in stable condition of blood circulation.
"In a remarkable display of preparedness and professionalism, co-passengers from medical background on board promptly initiated life-saving measures by providing CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) to the baby passenger," Aejaz Shami, Deputy General Manager (Communications) of Nagpur-based KIMS-Kingsway Hospitals told news agency PTI. The baby was put on a ventilator and administered life-saving drugs, said Shami.
Taking to X, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya lauded the team of doctors for their efforts in resuscitating the baby, and wished for the good health and quick recovery of the child.
"Kudos to the team of doctors of @AIIMS_NewDelhi for their heroic life-saving efforts on the flight and for saving a precious life. Your inspiring act has shown why doctors are called second to God on earth. Praying for the good health and quick recovery of the kid," he tweeted.
(with PTI inputs)
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