Doctor saves girl with hypocalcemia on plane

On the flight to Hanoi, the doctor and his colleagues promptly handled the situation, saving the girl from hypocalcemia - a dangerous electrolyte disorder that can lead to cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest.

A girl with hypocalcemia on the plane was promptly treated by doctors at a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: Provided by the doctor

On June 29, Dr. Nguyen Van Tien - Head of Surgery Department 2 of Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital - said that on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi , he and his colleagues promptly saved a girl about 12 - 13 years old with hypocalcemia.

Fifteen minutes after takeoff, the intercom system blared: "Is there a doctor on board? We need urgent medical assistance."

Doctor Tien and his colleague, Doctor Pham Ngoc Trung, walked to the back of the plane following the flight attendant's instructions.

Here, a girl about 12 - 13 years old was lying in the arms of a relative, her hands and feet were cold, her skin was purple, she was sweating, breathing heavily and had signs of mild convulsions.

After quickly checking vital signs, Dr. Tien quickly determined that the baby may be suffering from acute hypocalcemia - a dangerous electrolyte disorder that, if not treated promptly, can lead to respiratory and cardiac arrest.

But the plane is not an emergency room, there are no monitors, special medicines, or specialized equipment, just a few basic first aid kits for the flight crew.

In this situation, Dr. Tien said loudly in the plane cabin, "Does anyone have calcium effervescent tablets? The kind used when playing sports ?"

About a minute later, a passenger brought out a tube of effervescent tablets containing calcium. The doctor mixed the medicine with water and gave it to the child to drink, while closely monitoring his vital signs and ruling out other possibilities such as asthma.

Luckily, just a few minutes later, the baby's pulse stabilized, his skin gradually turned rosy, his breathing became more regular, and he opened his eyes and held the doctor's hand tightly.

The chief flight attendant quickly invited the two doctors and the patient to the business class cabin for easy monitoring. At the same time, the captain requested priority to land early at Noi Bai airport. When the plane touched down, ground medical staff were waiting to receive the girl and take her to the nearest medical facility.

Acute hypocalcemia, immediate emergency treatment required

Doctor Nguyen Trong Hung, National Institute of Nutrition, said hypocalcemia is a condition in which the calcium concentration in the blood is below the allowable limit, causing symptoms of numbness in the limbs, dizziness, even convulsions and fainting.

When these symptoms appear, they need to be carefully examined to avoid misdiagnosis with diseases such as hypoglycemia.

Some symptoms of acute hypocalcemia that patients often encounter are convulsions, severe muscle spasms. These cases must be quickly taken to the emergency room immediately for timely treatment.

SPRING PLUM

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/bac-si-cuu-be-gai-bi-ha-canxi-mau-ngay-tren-may-bay-20250629080918989.htm