On January 8, Dr. Truong Nguyen Hoai Linh, Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Thong Nhat Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the hospital had just admitted a male patient, NVC (38 years old, residing in Tan Binh District), who was stabbed in the chest with a fatal wound after a traffic collision.

Previously, at 10:30 a.m. on January 4, the patient had a traffic accident, then argued in front of his house and was stabbed in the chest by someone else.

The patient was taken to Thong Nhat Hospital for emergency treatment in a state of severe blood loss shock, difficulty breathing, rapid pulse, low blood pressure, blue mucous membranes, etc. The patient's left chest had a wound caused by a sharp object (homemade knife).

The diagnostic imaging results showed a large amount of hemothorax and suspected a serious heart wound, so the hospital raised the red alert and mobilized human resources, resuscitated the patient and transferred him to the emergency operating room within 10 minutes. All normal hospitalization procedures were skipped to take advantage of the golden time to save the patient.

In the operating room, the patient's chest was opened, and the doctor noted that the patient had a ruptured left internal thoracic artery, a ruptured intercostal artery, and a perforated left upper lobe of the lung. The amount of blood lost due to these injuries was aspirated to 3 liters. The patient had the arteries sutured, the lung wound stitched, and the pleural cavity and pericardial cavity cleaned.

Currently, the patient's health is stable, alert, and able to eat orally.

Dr. Truong Nguyen Hoai Linh added that recently the hospital has continuously received cases of closed heart trauma due to traffic collisions or heart perforation due to stabbing.

"Fighting, stabbing with sharp objects, especially knives, can cause very high penetrating injuries. If there is a wound in the left chest or heart area, the patient should be taken to a large hospital immediately to shorten the time to save the patient's life," Dr. Truong Nguyen Hoai Linh advised.

Doctors also warn that in cases of traffic accidents and collisions where the left chest suddenly beats, the possibility of life-threatening heart and lung damage is very high, and the patient should be taken to the hospital immediately.