2-yr-old stops breathing on Bengaluru-Delhi flight, here's what happens next...

Five AIIMS doctors who were travelling on the Vistara UK814 Bengaluru-Delhi flight on Sunday evening saved the life of a two-year-old baby girl after she stopped breathing 30 minutes after the takeoff.

The 5 AIIMS doctors and one doctor from the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS) doctor included:

1- Dr Navdeep Kaur (SR, Anesthesiology- JPNATC)

2- Dr Damandeep Singh (SR, Cardiac Radiology and Endovascular Interventions)

3- Dr Oishika Chakraborty (SR, Obstetrics and Gynaecology)

4- Dr Avichala Taxak (SR, Cardiac Radiology and Endovascular Interventions)

5- Dr Rishabh Jain who is presently enrolled in ILBS, New Delhi

AIIMS in a statement said..

A distress announcement was made 30 minutes after the takeoff, to seek help from any doctor available on board the flight. On hearing the announcement, all doctors responded to the call and initiated immediate medical care. The doctors said there was a two-year-old female infant who had undergone an open intracardiac repair surgery in Bangalore three weeks ago for complex congenital heart disease (Dextrocardia, situs inversus and total anomalous pulmonary venous connection). The parents of the child were in distress saying their baby was not responding.

AIIMS' Dr Navdeep Kaur said

The child was safely taken to the rear zone of the aeroplane and carefully assessed and was found to be cyanotic, not breathing and her pulses were absent. Her heartbeat was not palpable. Immediately, according to the paediatrics resuscitation protocol, CPR was started. The airway was maintained using three manoeuvres – head tilt, jaw thrust and chin lift and positive pressure ventilation was initiated using on board available face mask (adult size) attached to an ambu bag and pediatric oropharyngeal airway. Chest compressions were given according to pediatric life support protocol.

To connect the oxygen cylinder to the AMBU bag, the tubing, which was required, was harvested from the on-board available emergency oxygen mask.

Dr Avichala Taxak said

In extremely harsh circumstances with limited availability, an I.V. line was secured in the first attempt and emergency drugs (Adrenaline) as per the weight of the child every three to five minutes were administered. On board, an available AED was skillfully utilized to deliver cardiac shock and further CPR was continued.

ROSC (Return Of Spontaneous Circulation) was achieved after 45 minutes of CPR in the form of a palpable brachial pulse. No ECG/Oxygen saturation probe was available to monitor heart rate and saturation on board.

The pilot was requested to immediately land at the nearest airport and Nagpur was the nearest available option with an estimated landing time of 20 minutes.

The flight landed at Nagpur airport, and the child was successfully handed over with stable hemodynamic parameters to the paediatrician in Nagpur who arrived in an ambulance. 

Though Vistara Airlines didn't release any statement, a source from the airline sources told Republic, "Everyone got panicked when the parents felt that toddler's breathing had stopped. Soon we announced for on-board doctors if there were any. Five doctors responded and came forward to initiate the medical care on board. Five cabin crew staff also assisted the doctors in providing all necessary help and after approximately 50 minutes, the child was stable. The flight was diverted to Nagpur where immediately on-ground medical care and staff assistance was provided to the family and the toddler was taken to hospital."