According to H.D.D's father (7 years old), during recess, he climbed up a wall nearly 2m high and slipped and fell, causing a sharp iron stake to hit his face in his left arm. Despite panicking, the child pressed himself into the bleeding wound and called an adult for help.
The child was given first aid by school health workers and urgently transferred to Gia Dinh General Hospital in Da Nang.
MSc. Dr. Vo Hoai Bao, Thoracic Surgery - Blood vessel specialist (Gia Dinh General Hospital) said: Although the external wound was quite small and had stopped bleeding thanks to the pressure banding process, the child's left hand was cold and pale, unable to recognize the rotation of the blood vessel. This is a clear sign of acute left-hand anemia.
The urgent Doppler ultrasound results showed that the blood flow down to D.'s arm was almost gone, suspected of a rupture of the arm artery. The child was at risk of extravagance and was indicated for emergency surgery in the 6-hour "golden time" to save her arm.
When expanding the wound, the doctor discovered that the child's arm artery was crushed in a 6cm long section, the arm vein was torn and important nerves were brittle. With such a long damage, direct artery union is impossible.
MSc. Dr. Vo Hoai Bao and the surgical team decided to remove a large endedoverture in the leg as a piece, connecting the two severed arteries, and re-establishing the blood flow to support the limbs. This is a difficult technique, especially more complicated when in children, blood vessels are very small in size, the risk of narrowing the mouth and clogging the vessels after surgery is very high, requiring meticulous and precise operation.
After nearly a day of surgery, the pulse signal in D.'s hand gradually recovered. The wings gradually warm up, the skin turns purple, and the downstream pulse is a clear sign that blood flow has been restored.
The child continued to receive intensive care, close monitoring, anti- thrombosis medication and early physical therapy. Every day, D.'s left hand moved better, feeling gradually returned. After 10 days of treatment, the child was discharged from the hospital to the joy of his family and the medical team.
MSc. Dr. Vo Hoai Bao shared: peripheral artery injury in children is extremely rare, accounting for less than 1% of cases of pediatric injuries. However, this is a dangerous condition, which can cause acute blood loss or limb necrosis if not intervened promptly. Surgery to restore blood vessel circulation during the golden period is a decisive factor in preserving limbs and motor function for children. In addition, parents should also instruct children on how to temporarily handle injuries and quickly call for help from adults to limit unfortunate incidents.
