On August 9, the Central General Hospital (CGH) in Can Tho announced that doctors had successfully performed an emergency surgery on a 15-year-old girl who had a knife stuck in her head. This patient was transferred to the CGH in Can Tho at 11:50 am on August 8.
The patient's family reported that around 8:00 am on the same day, the patient and her brother were playing, and her brother suddenly threw a nearby knife to chase a stray cat, unfortunately, the knife's tip pierced the patient's head. The patient was admitted to a local hospital, received emergency treatment, and was quickly transferred to the hospital.
CT scan results showed that the patient had a foreign object obstructing the X-ray, penetrating the right parietal region, with a metal image.
The doctors quickly consulted and decided to perform emergency surgery, with the surgical team led by neurosurgeons. The wound on the right parietal region, caused by the knife's tip, was 0.5 cm deep, and the skin was incised and extended on both sides of the occipital region to expose the skull. Upon examination, the knife was found to have penetrated 1.2 cm deep into the skull, and a drill was used to remove the knife, followed by the removal of a small amount of blood outside the dura mater, which was found to be intact, with only a slight scratch on the surface of the dura mater. The surgical field was cleaned, and the bleeding was controlled, and a drainage tube was inserted, and the wound was closed in two layers. The surgery was successful after 90 minutes.
Currently, the patient is conscious, with stable vital signs, normal neurological functions, a dry wound, and a small amount of bloody discharge from the drainage tube, and is being monitored and treated at the Neurosurgery Department.
Dr. Phước, Head of the Neurosurgery Department at the CGH in Can Tho, stated that fortunately, the knife did not penetrate too deeply, and did not damage the brain tissue, so the patient's neurological functions have largely recovered, with no lasting consequences. It is expected that the patient will be discharged within a few days.
Dr. Phước advised that this is a valuable lesson for families and schools in managing children's use of sharp objects, including handmade knives. It is particularly important to note that when a sharp object pierces the skin (knives, scissors, keys, etc.), it should not be removed at the scene of the accident.
