Cho Ray doctor's antibiotic research wins Kova award

Helping to reduce the rate of antibiotic use in patients by 57.8%, the research of Cho Ray Hospital doctors was awarded the Kova prize on the morning of January 9.

The project “Building, applying and evaluating the effectiveness of the antibiotic use management program at Cho Ray Hospital” is chaired by Associate Professor Nguyen Van Khoi and Associate Professor Le Thi Anh Thu. This is the first study in the South as well as Vietnam related to antibiotic use management. The project was conducted from September 2013 on 800 patients, with the participation of nearly 50 doctors.

In June 2015, the project was accepted as excellent by the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City when it reduced the rate of antibiotic use in the research group by 57.8%, reducing costs and treatment time. The rate of drug resistance genes was significantly reduced, limiting hospital infections... The project is being developed into a multi-center project, transferred and widely applied to many provinces and cities across the country.

Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan presented the award to the doctors of Cho Ray Hospital.

Associate Professor Nguyen Van Khoi, Deputy Director of Cho Ray Hospital, said that the irrational use of antibiotics is a hot topic not only in Vietnam but also in the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest rate of antibiotic-resistant patients in the world. The irrational use of antibiotics is one of the important causes of increased drug resistance, mortality, prolonged hospital stays and increased treatment costs. In that context, this work contributes to improving clinical effectiveness, reducing drug toxicity and reducing the development of drug resistance.

This is the only collective project to receive the Kova Award in the Construction category. Individual awards were given to four other outstanding individuals. Dr. Nguyen Minh Tien, Head of the Department of Intensive Care and Anti-Poison, Children's Hospital 1, Ho Chi Minh City, was honored with "Continuous blood filtration technique in the treatment of severe complications of hand, foot and mouth disease and continuous blood filtration in multiple organ failure due to bee stings". This project was first implemented in Vietnam as well as in the world in 2011 and was voted as one of the 10 achievements of the city's health sector.

This technique is considered the last resort to treat severe complications of hand, foot and mouth disease when other methods become ineffective, saving the lives of over 65% of very severe cases that previously had almost 100% mortality. In the treatment of multiple organ failure due to bee stings, continuous blood filtration is the first technique deployed in Vietnam to save severe cases, especially children who have been stung hundreds of times. The project has created a breakthrough in resuscitation of cases of bee stings with complications of multiple organ failure, increasing the survival rate from 20% to over 90%. The technique has been reported at many world conferences and widely applied in many localities across the country.

Other outstanding individuals who won the award were Dr. Pham Van Phuc, Deputy Head of the Stem Cell Research and Application Laboratory of Ho Chi Minh City National University, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Stem Cell Association with "Research on manufacturing a Kit to extract stem cells from adipose tissue and platelet-rich plasma for application in disease treatment". Professor Dong Thi Anh Dao, lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology: "Research on perfecting food processing technology from Kappaphycus Alvarezii seaweed and drinking water products from Porphyra seaweed". The program also honored the 84-year-old "barefoot farmer" Dinh Cong Vien, who is passionate about scientific research and invents many machines for agriculture.

The 13th Kova Award also awarded many individuals and groups in the category of beautiful living who have made great contributions to society and more than 100 scholarships to poor students who have overcome difficulties, achieved excellent academic performance and above, and are shining examples of perseverance in life.

Speaking at the award ceremony, Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan highly appreciated the achievements and contributions of scientists, good living examples as well as excellent students. According to Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Hoe, Director of the Kova Award Fund, it is expected that in the near future the award will expand its scope, awarding scholarships to outstanding students in Malaysia and Singapore.

According to Vnexpress