Infected by MRSA (methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus) a superbug, a newborn (less than a month old) has been saved by the combined effort of the doctors at a private hospital in Bengaluru and the active intervention of a Good Samaritan. The treatment was financed through crowdfunding.
Rekha (name changed), born in a small town of Jharkhand, was suffering from a rare life-threatening infection of the skin, Necrotising Fasciitis, also known as ‘flesh-eating disease’ with a high mortality rate.
The infection spread to her bloodstream causing high-grade fever, poor feeding, and respiratory distress. This was when a close family friend reached out to the paediatric team at Aster CMI hospital in Bengaluru to see if the doctors could help the child. He even agreed to cover the family’s travel bill as they lacked financial resources.
A team of doctors at the hospital, led by Sudheer K.A., consultant neonatologist, along with Madhusudan G., lead consultant plastic surgeon, Chetan Ginigeri, consultant PICU, and Shilpa V, senior specialist at the department of paediatrics, ensured the child’s survival, while the financing was through crowdfunding. The baby will now be able to lead a normal life, say doctors.
The bug, commonly known as MRSA, is a very potent bacteria which can cause life-threatening infections. The child was managed with appropriate antibiotics, wound debridement with vacuum assisted closure (VAC), and skin grafting, said Dr. Sudheer.