South Tamilnadu’s First ECMO Treatment Support and Multidisciplinary Care at Kauvery Hospital Save Life of Critically Injured Road Accident Victim
- A life-threatening lung laceration causing severe hypoxia was managed with 14 days of ECMO support, allowing the lungs to heal.
- The traumatic brain injury was treated with neuroprotective care, while fractures in the leg and arm were surgically stabilised to aid recovery.
Tirunelveli, April 2026: Advanced emergency and multidisciplinary care at Kauvery Hospital saved the life of a 54-year-old businessman who sustained critical injuries, including a severe lung tear, in a road traffic accident. The team provided artificial lung (ECMO) support for 14 days to allow his lungs to heal, while also managing his traumatic brain injury with medications and performing surgical fixation of fractures in the leg and arm.
Following a two-month hospital stay, the patient has made a strong recovery. He is now hemodynamically stable. His neurological status gradually improved to achieve an M6 motor response on the Glasgow Coma Scale – a clinical scale used to assess a patient’s level of consciousness and neurological function – indicating that he was able to obey commands, a key sign of meaningful neurological recovery.
Though the patient had sustained a traumatic brain injury, his severe lung tear caused life-threatening hypoxia, a condition in which the body does not receive enough oxygen, making respiratory failure the most urgent concern. As a result, ECMO and respiratory support became the primary focus in the initial phase of treatment.
The traumatic brain injury, which affected his motor response (movement and reflexes), was managed with the administration of neuroprotective medications. In addition, the patient was treated for orthopaedic injuries, including a tibia fracture (lower leg bone) and a humerus fracture (upper arm bone). Both fractures were surgically fixed to ensure proper alignment, stability, and functional recovery.
The treatments were carried out by a multidisciplinary team comprising the Critical Care team, led by Dr Kavu Devi, ECMO Physician Dr A.P.S Kannan, along with Dr Senthil Babu Neurosurgeon, Dr Arun Singh, who headed the Cardiothoracic team, Dr Belinda Anet Pulmonologist, and Dr Prabhakar, Orthopaedic & Joint Replacement Surgeon
In her comment, Dr Kavu Devi said, “Thanks to timely advanced emergency care and the coordinated efforts of our multidisciplinary team, the patient was successfully managed despite presenting with severe respiratory distress and critical lung compromise. We diagnosed a traumatic brain injury along with a significant lung tear causing life-threatening respiratory failure, and initiated ECMO support for 14 days to allow the lungs to heal. Concurrently, his brain injury was managed with neuroprotective care. The patient could now obey commands and is now hemodynamically stable.”
He added that in cases involving multiple critical injuries, precise evaluation and a timely multidisciplinary approach are essential to achieving positive outcomes. Early identification of the most life-threatening condition, combined with coordinated care across specialties, plays a crucial role in stabilising the patient and ensuring optimal recovery.
