Hyderabad, Sep 23: Yashoda Hospitals, Secunderabad successfully managed a critically ill 2-month-old baby with coarctation of the aorta, who experienced sudden cardiac arrest during evaluation. The infant was immediately shifted to the emergency department, where cardiopulmonary resuscitation was initiated as per Paediatric Advanced Life Support guidelines. Following effective resuscitation, return of spontaneous circulation was achieved, and the infant was stabilised with ventilatory and cardiovascular support in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
Further evaluation confirmed significant coarctation of the aorta, a congenital narrowing of the major blood vessel carrying blood from the heart to the body. Considering the severity of the condition, the paediatric cardiology team performed balloon angioplasty and stenting to relieve the obstruction and improve blood flow. The infant was initially supported on mechanical ventilation and inotropic medication for poor cardiac contractility. With gradual clinical improvement and haemodynamic stabilisation, ventilatory and inotropic support was successfully weaned.
“This was a highly critical situation that required immediate resuscitation followed by coordinated cardiac and neonatal intensive care. Timely intervention helped restore circulation and address the underlying cardiac obstruction. The infant was closely monitored for neurological, cardiac and infectious complications, with treatment adjusted according to the clinical response,” said Dr. Niranjan N, MD (Paediatrics), DNB, DM (Neonatology), Senior Consultant & In-charge of Neonatal Care Services, Yashoda Hospitals.
During the NICU stay, the infant was also managed for seizures, suspected infection, shock and coagulopathy. Anti-seizure medication was initiated following two episodes of generalised seizures, while empirical antibiotics were administered following septic evaluation. Inotropic support was gradually tapered as circulation improved, and fresh frozen plasma was administered for the deranged coagulation profile. The infant showed progressive clinical improvement, with laboratory parameters demonstrating a favourable trend.
The case was managed by a multidisciplinary team comprising Dr. Niranjan N, Dr. D. Ramesh, Dr. M. Abhitej Reddy, Dr. Pamela Deb Roy and Dr. Srujana Swarna, along with the paediatric cardiology, neonatology, nursing and critical care teams at Yashoda Hospitals. The coordinated approach enabled timely resuscitation, definitive cardiac intervention and comprehensive neonatal care during a critical phase of the infant’s illness.