On August 1, information from the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases said that female patient V.T.T (58 years old, residing in Hung Yen) was in critical condition, had to use a ventilator to continuously filter blood due to widespread infection and multiple organ failure.
Previously, patients had a history of knee osteoarthritis for many years, had injected internal joints and often used unknown analgesic. As a clam farmer, two days ago when he was admitted to the hospital, the patient went to the sea to catch clams (saltwater waters), the next day he continued to work in the field (fresh water) without detecting himself scratched in the corner of the right toe.
Just one day later, my legs started to swell and become tense. When he arrived at the hospital for examination, the patient was diagnosed with pancreatitis in the right leg. However, the infection progressed rapidly, causing the patient to show signs of difficulty breathing early, and had to be transferred to the Intensive Care Center, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases for emergency care.
Here, the patient quickly fell into a critical condition, was placed with an endotracheal tube, put on a ventilator and actively resuscitated with antibiotics, vasopressors, and continuous blood filtration. Tests showed that infection indicators were at alarming levels. The injured leg was swollen, supple with water, and spread quickly to the thigh and to the left leg.
The patient is in critical condition and has a very high risk of death, said Dr. Vo Duc Linh, Intensive Care Center.
According to MSc. Dr. Pham Van Phuc - Deputy Director of the Center, doctors suspected that the patient was infected with one of two extremely dangerous bacteria: Vibrio vulnificus or Aeromonas hydrophila. Meanwhile, Aeromonas hydrophila often live in fresh water, brackish water or mud, easily causing cellulose inflammation, skin necrosis, sepsis and multiple organ failure, especially in people with underlying diseases such as diabetes and cirrhosis.
Bacteria can attack open wounds, then quickly penetrate the blood, destroying soft tissue through the endotoxin aerolysin - a substance that can dissolve cell membranes, causing tissue necrosis and threatening life.
Doctor Phuc warns: Small scratches, if exposed to dirty water, seawater or mud without proper treatment, can become a gateway for bacteria to invade and cause dangerous diseases. Not only Vibrio or Aeromonas, patients are also at risk of tetanus - an acute infectious disease with a high mortality rate if not fully vaccinated.
Doctors recommend that people, especially those who work at sea, aquaculture or farming, pay attention to protecting their bodies while working. When there is a wound, no matter how small, it should be washed with soap or saline, kept dry and monitored closely. If you experience signs such as redness, pain, fever, fatigue or shortness of breath, you should go to a medical facility early for timely treatment. Re-iningestation with tetanus vaccine every 10 years is also an effective disease prevention measure that people should not ignore.
