Ignoring hospital fees, anonymous patient saved in golden hour

At around 5am on June 17, a young man was taken to the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases by locals in critical condition due to a traumatic brain injury. The patient had no identification papers and was not accompanied by any relatives.

Seriously injured patient, doctor does not wait for administrative procedures

A representative of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases said that upon admission, this was an unidentified case with no medical history. The patient was a young man around 20 years old with a traumatic brain injury of unknown cause.

The patient was assessed with a Glasgow coma score of 12, which is a warning level for the risk of progressive brain damage, and was promptly monitored by the on-call physician for pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, and urgent imaging tests were ordered.

Ignoring administrative procedures and hospital fees, doctors save the life of a patient with critical brain injury

PHOTO: THANH DANG

Brain CT scan results showed that the patient had a subdural hematoma in the right hemisphere with cerebral edema, a sign of severe traumatic brain injury that can progress very rapidly.

After only 1 hour of admission, the Glasgow Coma Score had dropped significantly (7 points), which is the threshold for deep coma, with a very high risk of death if not treated promptly. The patient's pupils were abnormally dilated, and vital signs were declining, indicating acute brain failure.

"At this time, there was no more time for administrative procedures, so the neurology team decided to take the patient straight to the operating room with a single goal: to release the blood clot and save the remaining part of the brain," a member of the surgical team shared.

Saving lives comes first

The surgery for the male patient lasted about 3 hours. The hematoma was removed, and the intracranial pressure was relieved. After the surgery, the patient began to have reflexes again, his pupils contracted, he responded to painful stimuli, and his limbs moved. This was a sign that brain function was beginning to recover.

"We saw signs of recovery after surgery, although still fragile, it was the first hope in the journey to save the life of an unknown patient," a member of the surgical team shared.

Directly treating the male patient, specialist 2 Nguyen Quang Thanh (neurosurgeon, cranial surgeon) said that the patient had a closed head injury, subdural hematoma in the right hemisphere with diffuse cerebral edema. This is an extremely fast-progressing and dangerous case. Timely treatment, close post-operative monitoring, and the on-call team initially saved the patient's life.

"The most important thing in traumatic brain injury is not to lose the 'golden time', which is the only time when the brain can be saved before irreversible damage occurs," said Dr. Thanh.

Currently, the patient is still in serious condition, but neurological reflexes have improved, brain edema continues to be controlled, and vital functions are supported.

"With the above patient, even though his identity has not been determined, he does not have a health insurance card, and he has not paid the hospital bill, he still received emergency care and surgery according to professional instructions, regaining his life in his most fragile moments," the doctors shared.

The National Hospital for Tropical Diseases said that as of noon today, June 17, no relatives have come to claim the patient. All treatment, care, and expenses for this serious case are being guaranteed by the hospital.

The hospital's Social Work Department is coordinating with authorities to find the male patient's family.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/bo-qua-thu-tuc-vien-phi-benh-nhan-vo-danh-duoc-cuu-song-trong-gio-vang-18525061711574782.htm