Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Updated : February 15, 2022 11:57 AM IST
A 15-year-old boy who was brought into the emergency department of a private hospital in Mumbai with complaints of high-grade fever, severe abdominal pain and breathlessness was diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a fatal post-Covid complication that involves multiple organs.
The boy, named Harsh Chauhan, a resident of Virar, Palghar district, Maharashtra, was earlier taken to a local hospital wherein ultrasonography was performed on (30/12/21) which confirmed that he had appendicitis. He underwent appendectomy, a surgery to remove the appendix when it is infected, and large amount of pus was drained from the abdomen. However, on the second postoperative day, his saturation dropped to merely 40 per cent (the normal saturation is more than 94 per cent on room air) and become breathless. The boy was then referred to Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road for further treatment.
"On arrival in an emergency at 2:30 AM in the night. the patient was critical, and his saturation level was 30 per cent. He was immediately put on high ventilator support, his CT scan showed around 70 per cent of lung involvement and had acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Since there was multi-system involvement like abdomen, lungs and his blood pressure was low, we suspected multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) temporarily associated with Covid," said Dr Ankit Gupta, Lead Paediatric Critical care specialist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mira Road.
Dr Gupta explained: MIS-C is associated with COVID, and many children suffer from it after getting infected or if they have a family history of Covid infection. Harsh had a family history of Covid infection.
MIS-C is a syndrome wherein one's organs and tissues tend to get severely inflamed. It involves one's heart, lungs, kidneys, skin, brain, eyes, and gastrointestinal organs, he added.
Symptoms associated with MIS-C include prolonged high-grade fever, red eyes, swelling in the neck, rashes all over the body, abdominal pain, loose motions, low blood pressure, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Parents shouldn't ignore these symptoms, Dr Gupta stated.
"These symptoms overlap with various other conditions and so high index of suspicion for MIS C is important. So, the patient should also be examined regarding the history of Covid-19," he added.
According to Dr Gupta, Harsh was treated with steroids and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG).
"The patient's condition dramatically improved, his breathing and saturation improved. He was off the ventilator after 4 to 5 days. He was discharged after a week. Not Treating him at the right time could have led to the loss of life in few hours," he said.
Till now, the hospital has successfully treated 2-3 MIS-C cases during the third COVID wave.
According to the patient's father, they initially opted for home remedies to help their son get relief from abdominal pain and fever, but his pain worsened.
The father said, "We took him to a local hospital that diagnosed him of having appendicitis. He also underwent surgery, but his condition didn't improve. Then, his oxygen levels were low and he was detected with MIS-C. This was an unknown entity for us."
He believes that correct diagnosis and prompt treatment saved his son's life.
"Harsh is absolutely fine now, has resumed his daily routine, and is able to concentrate on his studies," asserted the elated father.
Parents should not neglect any abnormal symptoms when it comes to children. Just seek proper care and treatment, he added.
