Doctors at Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road, have saved a teenager from death without the need for a liver transplant after the 16-year-old approached them a week after accidentally consuming Ratol (rat poison).
When the 16-year-old girl, who is currently recovering at the hospital, went to the doctor, she had developed acute liver failure and needed a transplant. Although she was asymptomatic at first, she began showing signs of liver failure like stomach ache and vomiting after two days.
Having been initially treated by other hospitals, her condition worsened with jaundice. At Manipal, she was admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and was immediately listed for a liver transplant, even as doctors monitored her closely for improvement.
When the liver transplant process began, the girl was stabilised at the PICU as doctors adopted a multidisciplinary approach. The medical team under Dr Shivakumar Shamarao, (consultant, PICU), used mechanical ventilator support and dialysis to manage the liver failure. They also corrected her electrolyte imbalance. With proper supportive care, the girl recovered during the week and she could be taken off the ventilator and dialysis support.
As the girl responded well to the treatment, she did not have to go through the liver transplantation and could also be discharged from the hospital soon. With time and medication, her liver is expected to make a full recovery.