Artificial heart lung machine used to cure H1N1-affected child

In a first of its kind initiative, an artificial heart lung machine has been used to cure a child suffering from swine flu at the Apollo Children's Hospital in Chennai.

Soubhashree was rushed from Puducherry to here by a team of doctors from Apollo Hospitals recently after her oxygen levels in the lungs were very low as she had swine flu.

She was put on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) machine for 19 days.

"While ECMO has been used in other instances in India to cure adults with severe lung infection, this is the first time that a child has been cured of H1N1 using ECMO in India," a release from the hospital said.

"By taking over the work of the heart and lungs, the machine gives a child's heart or lungs a chance to recover.

ECMO supports the patient for days to weeks. Soubashree was hooked to the system for 19 days," Dr Indira Jayakumar, Senior Consultant Emergency and Intensive Care, Apollo Children's Hospitals said.

Preetha Reddy, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals, said that "state-of-the-art technology coupled with well-informed doctors, physicians and efficient support system is what which has made this possible."