Apollo doctors save life of youth who fell from 17th floor

CHENNAI: Doctors at Apollo Hospital saved the life of a 20-year-old youth who accidentally fell from the 17th floor and landed on the fifth floor, at a construction site in Perungudi. On December 9, the youth, an AC mechanic, fell and sustained grievous injuries and was rushed to the hospital. The emergency department immediately started artificial respiration, with blood transfusion and IV fluids and the patient was stabilised, the release said.

A CT scan showed severe traumatic brain injury with blood clots, multiple facial fractures, cervical spine fracture, liver and right kidney injuries and both lower limb bone fractures. Doctors headed by Dr Roopesh Kumar, Senior Consultant, Neurosurgeon, Apollo Specialty Hospitals, OMR managed patient’s multiple injuries in a phased manner avoiding further complications, the release added.  

“We performed tracheostomy to facilitate ventilation and administered medications to reduce the brain swelling. Once his blood pressure stabilised, his leg fractures were fixed by orthopaedic surgeons and plastic surgeons. A team of urologists and gastroenterologists managed his liver and kidney injuries through non-operative procedures,” the release quoted Dr Roopesh Kumar.

The patient’s facial bones were surgically corrected by a faciomaxillary surgeon.  His intermittent fever spikes were managed with antibiotics and he was shifted to a rehabilitation unit and continued with physiotherapy, speech and swallowing therapy. 

As he regained consciousness, the patient began behaving aggressively with severe mood swings and after being managed by psychiatrist and neuropsychologist, he normalised. Post all the procedures, the patient was also corrected for stiffness of all four limbs which was becoming an obstacle in his rehabilitation. After nearly two months of intensive management, the patient is now ready to go home, the release concluded.