Oman health: Royal Hospital medics save 15-month-old

Muscat: A 15-month-old girl with an acute respiratory infections was saved by the medics of the National Heart Centre at the Royal Hospital (RH) by using a new therapeutic technique.
A medical staff of the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit succeeded in using the technique of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to support the heart and lungs of the patient.
“The procedure involves performing a surgery on the patient with the aim of changing the blood course from the two vena cava to an oxygenised device that transfers blood to a pump and prevents it from moving into the heart,” Dr. Balqees Al Noobi, IC Senior Specialist said.
Respiratory infections
Dr Su’aad Al Ismaili pointed out that the ECMO is the latest therapeutic method followed at the international level in the field of acute respiratory infections
treatment.
The technique temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs and it is used when the patient could not response to the other medical treatment including drugs and surgical interventions.