12-Year-Old Survives Paraquat Poisoning After Lung Transplant
This is the first time in the world that a lung transplant has been performed on a very young person for paraquat poisoning induced lung fibrosis
Hyderabad: Yashoda Hospitals marked a major milestone in global organ transplantation by successfully performing a rare bilateral lobar lung transplant on a 12-yaer-old patient who had suffered pulmonary fibrosis after accidental ingestion of paraquat, a highly toxic weedkiller.
The patient, a Class 6 student from Odela in Peddapalli district, was rushed to a local hospital on March 15, 2025, after consuming the poison. He was transferred to Yashoda Hospital, Somajiguda, on April 21, in a life-threatening state. The poison had caused irreversible pulmonary fibrosis (severe scarring) in his lungs.
“Paraquat toxins actively reached the lungs, resulting in irreversible pulmonary fibrosis,” stated Dr Pavan Gorukanti, director of Yashoda Hospitals. “Although he received ECMO support for two weeks, our medical team suggested a lung transplant as there was no improvement.”
Dr Visveswaran Balasubramanian, senior consultant interventional pulmonology, said the student was given supportive care. “While his liver and kidney parameters gradually returned to normal, his oxygenation deteriorated, necessitating a mechanical ventilator and then extracorporeal support (ECMO).”
Following extensive counseling with the family, the child was listed for an emergency lung transplant. The organs were sourced from a brain-dead donor through the state's Jeevandaan organ donation initiative. The complex bilateral lobar lung transplant was successfully executed.
