On October 26, news from Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital said the hospital had just successfully performed emergency surgery on an 18-year-old man with a penetrating chest wound and a punctured heart in critical condition.
Patient L.T.T (18 years old, Thoi Lai district, Can Tho city) had a conflict with a friend and was injured by his friend.
Immediately after the incident, the patient was taken to Can Tho University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital by local people in a state of agitation, agitation, pale skin and mucous membranes, rapid pulse, and low blood pressure due to a 4cm long wound on the right chest.
The doctors immediately set up an emergency line to provide fluid transfusion, pain relief, and oxygen support for the patient. After examination and consultation with the hospital, the medical team raised the red alert, activated the emergency procedure, and ordered immediate surgery to save the patient.
The team quickly performed urgent intensive resuscitation procedures including endobronchial intubation to isolate both lungs and anesthetize and ventilate one lung, place a central venous line, measure invasive arterial blood pressure, and rapidly transfuse a total of 9 units of blood, ensuring adequate compensation for lost circulatory volume.
The team then performed emergency surgery to open the chest into the pleural cavity, which contained about 2,000ml of diluted blood and 500g of blood clots. Exploration revealed a 1.5cm perforated pericardium wound, blood gushing from the pericardial cavity, and a 1.5cm perforated right atrium wound. The doctor treated the heart wound and pericardium by suturing the heart wound.
In addition to the heart wound, the patient also had a penetrating wound in the S3 lobe of the right lung, and the surgeon sutured the lung wound.
The patient is now past the critical stage, awake, with stable vital signs, communicating well, continuing post-operative pain relief treatment, ensuring nutrition, and receiving special post-operative monitoring.
Specialist Doctor 2 Vu Van Kim Long - Head of the hospital's Anesthesia and Resuscitation Department - said that patient T.'s case is a particularly dangerous case of heart injury due to both heart and lung damage, which can quickly lead to death within 5 - 10 minutes.
According to Dr. Long, handling this situation requires coordination between specialists, making correct and timely decisions, to save the patient's life in seconds.
