Upon admission to Bach Mai Hospital, the victims were assessed to have suffered from mixed gas poisoning, airway obstruction due to soot from the fire, severe burns to the entire respiratory tract mucosa, bilateral diffuse lung damage, myocardial damage, rhabdomyolysis, and even signs of impaired consciousness. The victims had a severe prognosis, with many unpredictable risks and a high risk of death.
Immediately upon receiving the victims, experts and leading doctors in many fields of emergency, anti-poisoning, resuscitation, respiratory, and infection at institutes, centers, departments, and rooms of Bach Mai Hospital were mobilized to consult and provide timely and active treatment plans for the victims.
Chest CT scans and chest X-rays as well as endoscopy results of the victims showed a lot of black soot sticking together with inflammatory pseudomembranes, peeling of the mucosa of the larynx, trachea, bronchi, and damage to both lungs. Initially, the victims were given measures such as respiratory support, oxygen therapy, respiratory care, endotracheal intubation, mechanical ventilation, ventilation procedures, bronchoscopy to wash the bronchi and alveoli, nebulization of many types of drugs, use of drugs to prevent late complications of the nervous system and psychiatry, and close monitoring of each development and health status.
Dr. Nguyen Trung Nguyen, Director of the Poison Control Center, said: The victims of the fire who are being treated at Bach Mai Hospital have signs of damage to the respiratory tract from top to bottom, throat, larynx, lungs, poisoning due to inhalation of coal dust, various toxic gases, and heat generated from the fire. In addition, there are many other organ injuries such as rhabdomyolysis, myocardium due to toxic gases such as CO and possibly many other toxic gases. The victims need to be closely monitored and treated with many combined measures, in the spirit of priority, focusing on rescue and rehabilitation. Oxygen therapy, solutions to remove coal phlegm from the body, pumping and cleaning to clear the airways, reduce acute and preventive injuries, and minimize sequelae of organs, especially the brain.
The victims' condition is now more stable, but it is still impossible to predict future complications of the lungs, cognitive and mental sequelae. Treatment for fire victims usually lasts from several weeks to months.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Chi, A9 Emergency Center, head of the expert team responsible for treating the victims, said: “The victims of the coffee shop fire all inhaled toxic gas and a large amount of smoke, causing serious damage to many organs in the body. The victims' condition is assessed to be similar to the mini apartment fire in Thanh Xuan in September 2023. By the morning of December 20, the two most severe patients had shown positive improvements, and are expected to be able to move towards being able to be weaned off ventilators.”
“Bach Mai Hospital is doing its best to focus on treating the victims of the fire at the coffee shop on Pham Van Dong Street (Hanoi) on the evening of December 18,” Associate Professor, Dr. Dao Xuan Co - Director of Bach Mai Hospital affirmed.
