New Delhi: A doctor saved an elderly passenger's life mid-flight by draining out 800 ml of urine from his blocked bladder in a UK-bound flight from Delhi.
The condition of a 65-year-old passenger, who was suffering from acute urinary retention, deteriorated and was found going to the washroom extremely frequently. The cabin crew was alerted and when they checked, the elderly man complained that he was unable to urinate.
Realising the need for medical intervention, they approached a Dr Richie Gupta, director of Plastic, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery at Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh, a co-passenger.
The crew members told Dr Gupta that they had provided dry ice to the passenger for relief but it was not helpful as his condition started deteriorating after 30 minutes.
Dr Gupta immediately took the elderly man to the rear side and laid him down. After a quick examination, Dr Gupta found that his bladder was filled with about 800 ml of urine as his bladder was blocked and he was unable to urinate. The man told he had never faced such a problem before and did not have diabetes nor any other serious ailment.
On checking the limited medical kit present in the flight, Dr Gupta found a few urinary catheters, xylocaine jelly, syringes and gloves. Using the limited equipment available onboard, Dr Gupta catheterized the man and successfully removed 800 ml of urine. After the procedure ended, the man got a lot of relief and the size of his bladder, which had inflated, also normalised.
Dr Gupta said that if the urine had not been extracted on time it could have ruptured the bladder and it could have also turned fatal. The patient could have faced urinary tract infection, kidney damage or other serious health problems, he added.
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