Kolkata: A 12-year-old boy has triumphed over 75% burn injury after nearly three months treatment in PICU that included win over infections and multiple skin grafting and reconstructive surgeries. Doctors said that 75% burn comes under major burn category, a life threatening injury capable of causing complications like severe fluid loss, systematic inflammation and multi-organ failure.According to the family, Anish Saha (name changed) sustained the burn in April during a family puja at home in Barasat. The boy accidentally came in contact with a burning diya. In an attempt to extinguish the flames, he reached for a nearby container believing it to be water. Tragically, the container had hand sanitizer, causing the flames to intensify instantly and resulting in extensive burns across almost his entire body.His parents rushed the critically injured boy initially to a hospital near their home from where he was referred to Desun Hospital. Given the extremely critical condition the hospital constituted a multidisciplinary team immediately that focused on aggressive fluid resuscitation, pain management and intensive monitoring during the first 48 hours to stabilise his condition. This period was also crucial for burn patients due to the risk of developing life-threatening infections.Through meticulous infection prevention protocols and round-the-clock intensive care, the team successfully prevented major complications.Bichitrovanu Sarkar, head of paediatrics and paediatric critical care at Desun said, “Cases of such extensive burns in children carry a very high risk of complications and mortality. The first few days demanded meticulous critical care, including aggressive fluid management, pain control, respiratory support and constant monitoring for infection. Every stage of his recovery required coordinated efforts from our multidisciplinary team. Watching him recover and finally return home is immensely rewarding for all of us.”The child remained under the care of Sarkar who led his intensive care management in during the prolonged PICU care. Once Anish’s condition stabilised, the focus shifted towards reconstruction under the supervision of Deepanjan Dey, consultant plastic & reconstructive surgeon. The young patient underwent multiple skin grafting procedures to restore the damaged skin and aid recovery.“After stabilisation, our priority was to restore as much skin coverage as possible through staged skin grafting procedures. Managing extensive burns requires patience, precision and multiple surgeries over several weeks. The boy’s determination, the unwavering family support and the coordinated efforts of the critical care, nursing and rehabilitation teams, played a vital role in achieving this positive outcome,” said Dey .The child spent nearly three months in the PICU, receiving comprehensive multidisciplinary care, including critical care support, infection control, reconstructive surgeries, specialised nursing, nutrition management and rehabilitation.The boy made a remarkable recovery and was discharged from recently. Back home he continues to recover under regular medical follow-up.
