In early December 2024, the Neurological Intensive Care Department of 108 Central Military Hospital received and treated a 45-year-old male patient with severe head and facial injuries caused by exploding fireworks.
According to information from the patient's family, the patient had an accident while attending a wedding. While preparing to light a homemade firework, a firework suddenly exploded, causing serious injuries. The patient was diagnosed with a coma and open brain injury: bilateral frontal brain contusion, bilateral frontal bone fractures - right parietal, complex maxillofacial fractures, right petrous bone fracture, second- and third-degree burns on the face, and second-degree burns on both eyes. The patient underwent emergency surgery to open the skull on both frontal bones to relieve brain compression, remove foreign objects, and suture soft tissue wounds.
After surgery, the patient was actively resuscitated at the Neurological Intensive Care Unit. With the efforts of doctors and medical staff, the patient is now out of danger, stable and is continuing to be monitored and treated. However, the severe neurological sequelae of cognitive and motor paralysis, especially eye damage, have resulted in permanent loss of vision, along with damage to the maxillofacial region causing severe aesthetic sequelae. The consequences of the incident have caused permanent disabilities, long-term effects on the patient's life.
Dr. Nguyen Cong Thanh, Department of Neurological Resuscitation, shared about the above case: The forehead is the part of the brain that controls important cognitive skills in humans. Such as emotional expression, problem solving, memory, language, judgment and sexual behavior. In essence, it is the "control panel" of human personality and communication ability. Bilateral frontal brain contusion not only causes cognitive impairment but can also lead to behavioral disorders, loss of concentration or even personality changes. Skull fractures, especially the forehead and parietal regions, accompanied by increased intracranial pressure, pose a risk of causing serious compression on brain tissue, causing irreversible damage to nerve cells. In addition, open head trauma increases the risk of central nervous system infections; maxillofacial bone damage not only affects aesthetics but also causes difficulty in eating and communicating, leaving long-term effects on the victim's physical and psychological health.
In another case, a 15-year-old boy in My Xuyen district had his hand crushed after making firecrackers according to instructions on the internet.
At the hospital, doctors noted that P had injuries to his arms and legs. The palm of his left hand had many wounds, the distal phalanges of fingers 1, 2, and 3 were severed, the remaining parts were crushed; fingers 4 and 5 had crushed soft tissue and complex bone fractures; many superficial wounds on the right hand and right lower leg.
After performing the necessary paraclinical tests, the doctors performed surgery to remove soft tissue wounds, create a stump, and treat broken bones...
Doctors also recommend that people should voluntarily and strictly comply with legal regulations on the management and use of fireworks to prevent serious consequences to life and property, contributing to ensuring social order and safety. Authorities at all levels, departments, branches and organizations need to propagate and educate people to strictly comply with regulations on firecracker prevention, and resolutely and strictly handle violations of the law on firecrackers.
