Helicopters flew through the night to save a coma boy in Truong Sa

The emergency flight landed safely on the roof of the Institute of Orthopedics building, Military Hospital 175 (Ho Chi Minh City) at noon on January 15. Immediately, the medical team transferred the patient to the Emergency Department under strict isolation conditions, urgently testing and diagnosing images to determine the cause.

Captain and doctor Nguyen The Nha, head of the air ambulance team, said the flight crew approached the patient at Sinh Ton island at 0:30 the same day. At that time, the boy was in a deep coma and had severe respiratory failure. Doctors had to intubate and put on a ventilator to maintain life during the flight back to the mainland. The flight lasted 12 hours from 00:30 on January 15 to 11:45 the same day, twice the normal time.

Because the patient showed signs of brain damage, the pilot was forced to adjust the flight altitude lower than normal to minimize the pressure difference. This flying technique helps limit negative effects on the patient’s brain but makes the journey longer than expected. All infection prevention procedures were also strictly followed by the flight crew.

Previously, on the afternoon of January 14, the Sinh Ton island clinic (Truong Sa archipelago, Khanh Hoa) received a patient in critical condition. The boy had seizures, high fever, consciousness disorder and quickly fell into a coma. Through the remote consultation system (Telemedicine), doctors at Military Hospital 175 determined that the patient had an acute disorder of consciousness, suspected of a severe central nervous system infection. This condition directly threatens life if not intervened at a specialized medical level, so the hospital decided to activate the emergency air ambulance plan.

According to medical experts, central nervous system infections such as encephalitis and meningitis are particularly dangerous diseases with very rapid progression. The disease often begins suddenly after respiratory or digestive tract infections, due to viruses or bacteria attacking the immune system. If not treated promptly, patients face a high risk of death or severe neurological sequelae.