TP HCMThe 36-year-old man would have died without ECMO intervention. The Thong Nhat Hospital doctor decided to “save him at all costs” despite the patient’s difficulties.
MSc. Hoang Tuan, Deputy Department of Surgery Anesthesia and Resuscitation, Thong Nhat Hospital, said the patient was admitted to the hospital late on March 23 with a very fast pulse, low blood pressure, multiple injuries, and hemorrhagic shock. The patient is in a coma and must have a balloon pump through endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation intervention right in the emergency department.
Doctors put on red alert, consulted with many specialists, and determined that the patient had a ruptured liver, ruptured spleen, and collapsed lungs. The team performed liver preservation treatment and embolic intervention to stop spleen bleeding. The lungs were severely crushed, with pulmonary hemorrhage and severely damaged alveoli. Even though they were on a ventilator, the patient’s life was threatened. The doctor determined that the final weapon had to be used, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) to replace the lungs.
“Patients do not have health insurance and are in difficult circumstances. ECMO intervention is very expensive, the cost can be up to billions of dong,” Dr. Tuan said on April 26. The treatment team asked the hospital’s leadership for advice, and was told “the patient is still young, try to save his life at all costs, the costs will be calculated later”.
Doctor CK2 Ngo The Hoang, Head of the Respiratory Department, said the patient’s health condition gradually improved, the patient was weaned off ECMO after 7 days and continued on the ventilator for nearly another week. Doctors combine supportive treatment, anti-inflammatory antibiotics, and respiratory physical therapy. In addition, broken ribs and collarbones are also treated jointly by doctors.
Doctor checks patient’s health before leaving the hospital, April 26. Image: Le Phuong
Currently, the patient is recovering well, his pulse and blood pressure are stable, his chest X-ray has improved, and he was discharged from the hospital. “This is one of the cases with the highest hospital fees, about 1.5 billion VND, and the hospital mobilized donors for help,” said Dr. Hoang.
The patient’s wife said the couple both drive motorbike taxis. He runs from morning to night, while she only works a few hours a day because she has to take care of her 7-year-old and 1.5-year-old children. When her husband was run over by a taxi and a passerby called 115 to take him to the emergency room, she borrowed 38 million VND to pay the hospital fee, and could not afford to pay more.
“My husband only had a few percent hope of living. Doctors saved him and helped save hospital fees. I am very grateful,” the wife said.