Covid afflicted 11-year-old girl undergoes emergency surgery

Bhubaneswar: Paediatric surgeons at the SUM Covid Hospital here conducted an emergency surgery on a Covid-19 afflicted 11-year-old girl.

The girl, who complained of severe pain in the abdomen, was taken to a hospital where she tested positive for Covid-19 and she was promptly shifted to SUM Covid Hospital on October 27 where she was admitted into the ICU.

Dr. Lalit Parida, consultant paediatric surgeon at the IMS and SUM Hospital, said the report of ultrasound conducted on the patient elsewhere showed that she was suffering from appendicitis and needed immediate attention. After the required blood tests were conducted, she was shifted to the dedicated operation theatre of the SUM Covid Hospital for surgery after the parents were counseled, Dr. Parida said.

The appendectomy was conducted successfully in the dedicated operation theatre while adhering to all mandatory Covid precautions but it was found that the girl had perforated appendicitis with fecolith in it along with pyoperitoneum though the report did not indicate any such thing, he said.

Dr. Parida said this case was similar to another he conducted on a Covid positive 14-year-old girl in the hospital in May last. “Academic literature is now supporting the view that appendicitis in Covid positive children can be of serious nature requiring emergency surgery,” he said.

Dr. Parida thanked anesthesiologist Dr. Swastika Swaro, who was part of the surgery team, Dr. Mrunmay Das Mohapatra and Dr. Subhashree Beura who manned the ICU and nursing staff for their support.

Ajay Nayak, father of the girl, said he was grateful to the hospital authorities for the manner in which they treated his daughter. The hospital authorities regularly informed him about the condition of the child and the treatment she was getting including surgery. “We cannot forget the way the doctors, nurses and other staff in the hospital treated my daughter,” he said.