the Legendary heart surgeon, academician of RAMS, Deputy Director General surgery, head of Department of cardiovascular surgery fgbu “SMRC Cardiology” Renat AKCHURIN was not able to avoid infection with coronavirus infection. In an exclusive interview to an observer “MK” Renat Akchurin has told that has already overcome the crisis of the disease, but the virus is insidious, so each cure needs to do with preventing the effects that can cause infection of the cardiovascular system.
Renat Akchurin, tell us when you realized that he was sick?
— Despite the fact that I knew a lot about the peculiarities of this infection, and literature, and the stories of my employees (our center because from the first day was converted into a COVID, given that this virus brings a lot of heart complications), I didn’t expect that this virus attacks so subtly and so quickly.
First came our housekeeper with a slight cold, she had a few days of slight malaise. She was cleaning the house and apparently has infected my wife Natasha.
Exactly one day after his wife I’m sick, too. I have had no colds — just a high fever and desperate weakness.
— how did the disease of your wife?
— Natasha had the same thing: weakness and high fever. No cough, nor the other catarrhal phenomena not. We immediately realized that he was sick with the same disease and that, most likely, know the source. The day was really bad, and we called an ambulance, which took us to my home by walk. It was may 9, in the middle of the day, I don’t quite remember how I arrived: the temperature was 39,3. We were immediately taken to CT scan where the diagnosis was confirmed. Because when COVID there is a very specific lesions of the lungs: like and not pneumonia, but a very clear picture of the destruction of lung tissue, which in the picture looks like a cloud. My wife has been afflicted for about 30% of the lungs. But the doctors immediately started treatment: intravenous antibiotics, various drugs, including antiviral. The temperature was high, around 39, for four days, but thanks to the help of doctors, she was transferred easily. We were given an antipyretic that helped her to survive.
And then there was the cough dry, exhausting, proprotionate. We strictly followed all the recommendations of doctors. In particular, lying on his belly and was constantly on oxygen. Lying on the stomach, in which the rear parts of the lungs are higher than the rest helps to ensure a uniform supply of oxygen to all the parts of the lungs. This is all the instructions that we have accomplished, realizing that this COVID. And gradually getting better.
— were You treated by your colleagues?
Yes, these are my colleagues, my SOT��unici who have retrained. They came to us, of course, in space suits, twice a day. The temperature was measured, saturation and blood pressure. Every day performed an EKG, because the cardiovascular system is affected by the coronavirus in the first place, especially in aged patients. In General, now all is gradually normalized both: the oxygen saturation is good, the temperature normal. We already don’t breathe oxygen. We take control and make the control swabs ECG to solve the question of when to go home for rehabilitation.
— What is rehabilitation necessary?
— We understand that the tail of the disease is long, and basically all the effects associated with the cardiovascular system, because the virus disrupts the blood clotting system and can cause thrombosis and other vascular diseases. In young children, as described by the Americans, against coronavirus infection had Kawasaki syndrome (when the blood vessels are damaged from the inside, a very serious complication). And all these points need to anticipate and try to avoid them. It cannot, therefore, here it is: you have recovered, three days of no fever — and you can go for a walk and lead a normal lifestyle. No! Need at least another week and a half to survive at home in greenhouse conditions.
there is much talk about the low molecular weight heparins for the prevention of complications COVID-19. You gave them?
— No, we did another anticoagulant subcutaneously. Low molecular weight heparin has the same effect: prevents thrombosis, but it is more difficult to enter. As for the light, then the last control showed residual changes and positive dynamics indicating the properly selected therapy.
How’s your housekeeper?
she also developed bilateral pneumonia, she now lies in the hospital, being treated well, we are watching her. Maybe she got it in the store — because people are not always maintaining a safe distance and requirements, which are now vital to comply with.
What fascinates me today, this health organization. Today it plays a most important role. Properly organized prevention protection, which includes fines, and capacity of the system is essential today, people have no idea how many lives have been saved due to these measures.
the Doctor today commit heroic deeds, but healthcare managers deserve no less praise. And Russia in this respect — one of the most organized countries, probably after China. Nikolai Pirogov was said during the Crimean war, that is not a surgery, a health organization decides questions of rescue of the wounded on the battlefield. The situation now — one to one.
In cardiology ache many doctors?
— we Have 4 people in intensive care. And d��th doctors suffered the disease in a simple way, without pneumonia, they have already returned to work.
— How do you assess the training of colleagues on what new they had to learn to work with new patients?
— My colleagues — people who are accustomed to working with severe patients with cardiovascular and related diseases. They had to learn to dress appropriately (when dressing and undressing can become infected) and to develop three main criteria: the assessment of health status at CT (to listen to a patient is virtually impossible, since all the doctors are dressed in suits, Yes, nothing is heard at such a pneumonia); evaluation of the indicators of saturation of blood oxygen (if more than 95, it is very good, and if less than 90, then it is bad, and requires more intensive therapy) and the assessment of the hemodynamics of blood pressure and ECG, which show indirectly the effect of coronavirus on the heart and blood vessels. And the doctors did it. They are just great.
