AIIMS Nagpur doctors save five-year-old critically ill from toxic syrup poisoning
After three months of strenuous efforts, doctors of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, have managed to save the life of a five-year-old critically ailing child from Chhindwara district in Madhya Pradesh, who had been admitted to the hospital in a serious condition with coma and acute kidney failure following suspected consumption of a toxic cough syrup.
The child was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) of the AIIMS, Nagpur, on September 11, 2025, and admitted to the PICU in a state of deep coma, severe hypotension, multi-organ dysfunction, and near-absent brainstem reflexes.
The male child was immediately placed on mechanical ventilation and underwent emergency dialysis within hours of admission.
The case was managed under the leadership of Dr Meenakshi Girish, Department of Pediatrics, with intensive critical care support in the PICU led by Dr Abhijeet Chaudhary, PICU In-charge, along with Dr Abhishek Madhura and the entire dedicated pediatrics team.
A coordinated multidisciplinary approach involving pediatric intensivists, pediatric neurologists, nephrologists, ophthalmologists, nursing staff, and rehabilitation teams was followed throughout the prolonged course of treatment.
Despite being in a deep coma, the child was continued on sustained life-support measures. Over time, gradual neurological recovery was observed. The child later developed severe septicemia with shock, requiring advanced cardiac support, multiple blood transfusions, prolonged antibiotic therapy, and a tracheostomy for long-term ventilator support.
After nearly three months of continuous intensive critical care, the child was successfully weaned off ventilator support and shifted to a high-dependency unit.
With ongoing nutritional, physical, and neurological rehabilitation, he gradually regained speech and responsiveness and began interacting meaningfully with parents and doctors. Vision assessment revealed optic nerve damage with severe visual impairment.
Following timely ophthalmological intervention and immunosuppressive therapy, the child has shown partial recovery with perception of light. He is now clinically stable and planned for discharge after over three months of hospitalisation.
“This case reflects the extraordinary commitment, clinical excellence, and perseverance of our pediatric and critical care teams. The decision to continue intensive support despite an extremely poor initial prognosis demonstrates the values of AIIMS, where every life matters. I commend the Department of Pediatrics, PICU team, nursing staff, and AIIMS Nagpur administration for their coordinated efforts in achieving this remarkable outcome,” Dr Prashant P Joshi, Executive Director, AIIMS Nagpur, said.
The case was closely supported at the administrative level by Medical Superintendent Dr Nilesh Nagdeve, Joint Medical Superintendent Dr Nitin Marathe, who ensured the uninterrupted availability of critical care resources, dialysis support, blood products, and logistics during the prolonged treatment period.
Significantly enough, all treatment charges were fully waived by AIIMS Nagpur, reflecting the Institute’s commitment to equitable and compassionate care.
