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Case studies

When human knowledge ends

Dr. Jitendra Belani

Abstract
This is an episode encountered in my early professional life. Those were the days when medical
facilities, particularly help and investigations from super-specialist medical professionals, were very
limited in our city.

It was a rainy evening. At about eight o’clock reversal agents and was lying still like a dead
I received a call from a junior colleague. He one. His level of consciousness was also not
informed me about a child who had undergone satisfactory. The cardioscope exhibited very
laparotomy surgery and was not recovering abnormal and inconsistent ECG patterns.
from the anaesthesia. Though I am not a The only solace was that he was maintaining
specialist paediatric anaesthesiologist, I had proper oxygenation. Under such conditions
since my early years got a chance to work there are a few common protocol-based
with paediatric surgeons and my experience measures, which any anaesthesiologist would
in this field was far more than others. That practise and those were already being carried
was the reason my colleague asked for my out by my colleague.
help.
Now this was a dilemma for me. My
When I reached the nursing home, a small knowledge and experience could not guide
one as was usual in those days, I found me more than what was already being carried
the child in the operation theatre. As he out. For about ten to fifteen minutes we
required breathing assistance, he was still continued to provide controlled breathing
being kept inside the OT. My colleague told to the child. Meanwhile my colleague went
me the case history and mode of anaesthesia outside to inform the relatives of the child of
management. After the surgery, the child his condition and the efforts being made to
was not recovering from the effects of the treat the problem.
anaesthetic agents and muscle paralysing
drugs. The child was not breathing on his While I was alone in the OT, felt that my
own as he should after administering the knowledge ended at this junction and it was

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