Thursday, September 4, 2008

On ventilator

I saw this cute little 3½ year old yesterday.He was lying in a bed in our neurosurgery ICU, attached to a ventilator. He had been travelling in the front seat of a car when he stuck his head out of the window. An auto passing by, hit his head. His skull fractured and a piece of his skull was driven into his brain. he was unconscious when he reached pediatric casualty where he stopped breathing. He was intubated and resuscitated and transferred to neurosurgery ICU and hooked to a ventilator.A CT scan was done which revealed that the piece of bone was driven in to the brain to a depth of about 1.5-2 cm with some bleeding below it.The boy was immediately shifted to the OT. The surgery lasted 3½ hours, the fractured bone pieces were removed and the underlying damaged brain tissue was removed and the bone pieces were fixed in their normal position.


The child is now in the critical care unit, still on a ventilator. We hope he will gain consciousness soon. No one can say what damage has been done to his brain. But children's brain in enormously plastic. The function of the damaged area can be taken up by surrounding area. But no one knows how complete his recovery will be, if he recovers at all.

It is at times like this when i feel grateful for my body that i take for granted. To stand on my own two legs, see through my eyes, and have an unclouded mind to enjoy the world.

PS: now you know why they say in buses to not stick your arms of head outside. Be safe.