Kacper, now 18, contracted influenza A at the beginning of the year. His condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to intensive care and failure of several organs, including his liver, kidneys, lungs and heart.
The flu caused extensive lung damage and left him vulnerable to a bacterial infection. He developed severe sepsis caused by a multidrug-resistant strain of staphylococcus. One lung ruptured and bled heavily. He required ECMO, a life-support system that temporarily takes over lung function.
Doctors at the Silesian Centre for Heart Diseases in Zabrze, southern Poland, decided to proceed with a high-risk double lung transplant despite the ongoing infection and other factors that made the operation particularly risky.
The operation took around 13 hours and was performed about two weeks after he arrived at the centre.
According to Dr Maciej Urlik, a cardiac surgeon and transplant specialist at the centre, the damaged right lung had a hole around 10 cm across.
Kacper was losing up to around four litres of blood a day through the injury. More than 100 units of blood products were transfused before, during and after the transplant.
The transplant was followed by further complications, including infections, kidney failure requiring dialysis, right ventricular heart failure, disorders of the blood-forming system and gastrointestinal bleeding.
Kacper lost considerable muscle strength and initially could not move his arms and legs independently. His treatment involved hundreds of people, including doctors from different specialties, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists and dietitians.
Dr Urlik said the case demonstrates that influenza can have a very severe course. He urged people to seek information about flu and vaccination from medically qualified sources.
(sp)
Source: PAP