Teleconsultation saved life of a patient with peritonitis due to intestinal perforation

31/07/2021 13:28

On July 1^st 2021, via telemedicine system, doctors of Viet Duc University Hospital participated in a teleconsultation with Yen Bai General Hospital and consulted for an emergency operation with success for a male patient, named N. X. H. with a generalized peritonitis caused by car accident. Telemedicine allowed doctors from both bridge points having chance to exchange information, to consult remotely and to support on time for complicated surgeries in order to the optimal treatment for patient.

 

At 8 o’clock on July 1^st 2021, patient N. X. H. (male, 48 years old) was admitted to Yen Bai General Hospital in hemodynamic stable, however he had an abdominal distension and pain mostly at right hypochondriac site with peritoneum rebound tenderness. Also, para-clinical examinations were conducted to diagnosis. Test results showed a leukocytosis, and CT scanner findings are the ree gas and fluids in the peritoneal cavity leading to a diagnosis of generalized peritonitis, suspected the duodenal perforation.

 

Being aware that it might be a complicated case, doctors from Yen Bai General Hospital asked for advice from Viet Duc University Hospital’s experts. The leading experts of Viet Duc University Hospital participated in making a diagnosis as well as giving advices and instructions for emergency surgery. Directly participating in this event, there were Prof. TRINH Hong Son, PhD., MD., – Vice director of Viet Duc University Hospital, Chief of Oncology Department; Dr. LE Viet Khanh, PhD., MD., Head of the Direction of Healthcare Activities Department, Deputy chief of Emergency Abdominal Surgery Department; Dr. NGUYEN Dinh Minh, PhD., MD., Vice chief of Diagnostic Imaging Department and other experts of hospital.

 

 

 

After listening to Yen Bai General Hospital’s report on clinical manifestations and carefully examining CT Scanner images as well as patient’s laboratory tests, Viet Duc University Hospital experts steered to indicate a urgent surgery. During laparotomy, there was a generalized peritonitis caused by small intestinal perforation with a lot of cloudy fluid and pseudomembranous in the peritoneal cavity and a jejunal perforation at 80 cm from Treitz angle. Under direction of Prof. TRINH Hong Son, PhD., MD., doctors of Yen Bai General Hospital performed intestinal suture and clean of abdominal cavity. Overall, the operation went smoothly with good success.

 

 

After surgery, patient was stable, alert, a little pain at surgical site, mild abdominal distension, small amount of drainage discharge, normal pulses and blood pressure, continued to be treated and monitored at Yen Bai General Hospital.

 

 

Thanks to satellite hospital project of the Ministry of Health, as the key hospital in surgery, Viet Duc University Hospital organized advanced professional training courses for doctors from satellite hospitals and simultaneously performed remote consultations via Telemedicine system that connected from operating rooms and consultation rooms for difficult surgeries saving lives of many patients. 

 

Especially during the complicated course of Covid-19 pandemic, Telemedicine system has become a safe, fast and highly effective solution helping patients to benefit from surgeries without the need of hospital transfer. Patients were consulted and advised by leading experts. With Telemedicine system, basing on teleconference technology integrated with medical specialized devices on remote healthcare, many severe patients from remote areas were saved life in time.