SGGPO 10/23/2023 18:47

This is a special ambulance flight bringing 2 patients from 2 different islands to the mainland for treatment.

Helicopter landed at the Orthopedic Institute building to take the patient to the Emergency Department.

At 2:00 p.m. on October 23, EC 225 helicopter with registration number VN8619 of the 18th Army Corps, piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Pham Ngoc Hoai, landed safely on the apron of the Orthopedic Institute, Military Hospital 175 (Ministry of National Defense), promptly transporting two seriously ill patients from Song Tu Tay Island and Sinh Ton Island (Truong Sa island district, Khanh Hoa province) to the mainland for treatment.

Previously, at 1:00 a.m. on October 22, fisherman NS (39 years old), after diving 30m deep for 120 minutes, came ashore and felt very tired, had muscle pain in both legs, was dizzy, and had difficulty urinating. At around 4:00 a.m. the same day, NS dove into the sea to re-increase pressure for about 4 more hours. When he came ashore again, his condition did not improve, so he tried to reduce pressure on the boat by diving in a water tank from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., and his condition worsened.

The patient was admitted to Song Tu Tay Island Infirmary at 3:25 p.m. the same day in a state of pain all over the body, quadriplegia, muscle strength 3/5, sphincter disorder, urinary retention, anuria. At the same time, the skin appeared marbled patches, tissue hypoxia, and abdominal distension. Sinh Ton Island Infirmary quickly consulted with doctors from the Naval Medical Institute, 108 Central Military Hospital, 175 Military Hospital, and concluded: severe decompression sickness due to diving 30m deep in the 18th hour, multi-organ air embolism.

Soldiers took the patient by helicopter to the mainland for treatment.

The prognosis was very serious and beyond the treatment capacity of the island's military medical staff, so the doctors decided to transport the patient to Military Hospital 175 for timely treatment. During the flight to Song Tu Tay Island to transport the patient, the Emergency Team received orders from the Head of the Ministry of National Defense to transport another patient with multiple injuries, severe traumatic brain injury, and a closed fracture of 1/3 of the left midclavicle due to a fall from a height.

Upon admission, the patient was in a coma, Glasgow score 5, left pupil dilated 5mm, right pupil constricted... The patient was intubated, ventilated and transported with NS patient on a flight to the mainland for treatment.

The team is treating the patient.

According to Senior Lieutenant, Doctor Nguyen Van Nghia, Department of Intensive Care, Military Hospital 175, head of the emergency team, the most difficult thing in this emergency flight was having to move through 2 different islands, the patient also had to participate in the take-off and landing process many times, specifically 3 times and each time like that, due to changes in pressure, there is a risk of re-forming air bubbles in the blood vessels, making the embolism of the patient with decompression sickness worse.

In addition, bad weather conditions and heavy rain affected both the flight crew and the emergency team, as well as the patient's condition. Currently, the patient's vital signs are stable. Immediately after being transferred to Military Hospital 175, the patient was taken to the Emergency Department, where a hospital consultation was conducted for further treatment.