SPB fought valiantly over 51 days - The Times Of India

SPB fought valiantly over 51 days - The Times Of India

He Was Very Cooperative, Say Doctors

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:25.09.2020

August 5, minutes after he walked into the hospital with “mild” symptoms of Covid-19, S P Balasubrahmanyam in a video asked his fans not to worry. During his 51-day stay in MGM Healthcare, SPB fought a fervid battle with the infection and other ailments, until a brain haemorrhage.

Initially, he seemed normal, but his lungs quickly deteriorated. On August 13, he was placed on life support. “We first put him on a ventilator and when his oxygen saturation did not improve we added the ECMO,” said a senior doctor.

A team of nurses was posted to care for him. “They were surprised with the care he showed them,” said Dr Sabanayagam who treated him. He couldn’t speak much but gestured. His first note to the nurses was a “love you all” message.

Lalitha sahasranamam were played daily in the room. When the IPL season began, he asked for a TV and sometimes watched a game.

The lethal virus, however, made it difficult for doctors to wean him off life support. “SPB was patient and co-operative. He was kind. Even when he had a complaint or discomfort he put it across gently,” said a senior nurse. He would write a note to nurses when he wanted to eat soup or when they had to increase or decrease oxygen flow from the ventilator.

Earlier this month, doctors decided to do a tracheotomy. “I was a little anxious because I did not want anything to happen to his voice,” said Dr Suresh Rao, co-director for Institute of Heart & Lung Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support. After the procedure, SPB cleared his throat and said he was fine. “That’s the voice of the man I can never forget,” Dr Rao said.

His condition was improving and the amount of air (tidal volume) that moved in or out of the lungs with each respiratory cycle increased giving hope. But on Thursday, there was a cerebral haemorrhage. “We had to stop the medication that thins blood. But his blood has to be thin to flow freely in and out of ECMO,” Dr Rao said. At 1.04pm, after a cardio respiratory arrest doctors declared him dead.

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HEART-BROKEN: People pay last respects to the legendary singer on Friday evening