Saving the patient with a punctured heart, clinically dead

At 11:59 p.m. on June 5, an ambulance transported patient Nguyen Thanh P. (18 years old, residing in Nghi My, Nghi Loc) to Nghe An General Hospital in critical condition due to a knife stab through the left chest and into the heart.

The patient was immediately transferred to the emergency room. Here, the doctor immediately called for a consultation with the thoracic surgery department and performed emergency surgery. As soon as he left the emergency room to enter the operating room, patient P suffered cardiac arrest and respiratory arrest. The emergency team pushed the stretcher while continuously performing CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and chest compressions.

BSCKI. Ho Thai Phuc (Thoracic Surgery Department) provides post-operative care for heart surgery patient Nguyen Thanh P. Photo: Hoang Yen

In the operating room, the doctors tried every way to save the patient's life. Dr. Ho Thai Phuc, Department of Thoracic Surgery, said: "As soon as the left chest was opened, the patient's pericardium had a 1.5 cm wound, and the heart no longer beat. After opening the pericardium, the surgical team discovered and released the large blood clot that was causing compression, helping the patient's heart start beating again.

At that moment, with the force of the heart's contraction, the patient's blood spurted out, spraying straight into the surgeon's face. Using our fingers to insert directly into the bleeding wound, we quickly used two U-shaped sutures. The heart wound was quickly controlled."

Dr. Thai Phuc said: “We only have a few minutes to save the patient’s life. If we delay a little, the patient will die. Therefore, even though the patient has not had a blood test (the team is at high risk of exposure to the disease), we are still determined to save the patient at all costs.”

After surgery, up to now, patient Nguyen Thanh P's health has gradually recovered./.