The patient's name is N (74 years old), living and working in the medical field in the US. The patient had a long business trip to work in Vietnam. However, the patient's health gradually weakened and he was taken by relatives to the S.I.S Can Tho International General Hospital for emergency treatment in a state of fatigue, severe shortness of breath, edema in both lower limbs, and swollen legs.
After the results were available, the patient was diagnosed with pulmonary embolism on an underlying medical condition including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, lower extremity venous thrombosis, and thrombocytopenia. The doctor assessed this as a fairly severe case with a complex underlying medical condition.
Specialist Doctor 2 Nguyen Manh Cuong - Deputy Head of the General Internal Medicine Department of the hospital - said that patients with heart disease are already serious illnesses, patients with atrial fibrillation need to use active anticoagulants but face difficulties when the platelet index decreases. Therefore, during the treatment process, doctors must consider carefully when using anticoagulants.
“We are very happy that the patient gradually recovered, the platelet index stabilized, and there were no bleeding events when using anticoagulants. The patient's symptoms of heart failure and pulmonary embolism improved significantly. After nearly 10 days of treatment, the patient's health stabilized and he was discharged from the hospital,” said Dr. Cuong.
Sharing his joy before being discharged from the hospital, patient N said that at first, he wanted to return to the US for treatment, but when he was admitted here, the hospital's doctors with their professional working style gave him advice and attentive care, so he felt more secure. He expressed his gratitude and admiration for the hospital's medical staff.
Through the case of the above patient, Dr. Cuong noted that patients with heart failure and pulmonary embolism should be treated carefully before taking a long-haul flight, using anticoagulants well, and having an ultrasound to re-evaluate the blood clot status. When flying, patients should choose a reclining seat to limit sitting for long periods of time, and when lying down, they should also massage their feet, move and rotate their legs regularly.
