Saving live for a critical patient with online consultation

28/04/2020 08:04

With the satellite hospitals project of the Ministry of Health, as a nuclear surgical hospital, Viet Duc University Hospital organized advance training courses for doctors in satellite hospitals, at the same time performed long-distance advisory and consultation for many satellite hospitals through Telemedicine online broadcasting system, connected at operation rooms and consultation for difficult surgeries, saved many lives. Telemedicine allows doctors to exchange information about patients through screen to discuss treatment regimens, share expertise knowledge and distance training, eliminated geographical barriers.

 

 Especially during the time of pandemic occurred, Prime Minister proposed to implement the social distancing from 0h on April 1, 2020 on a national scale, Telemedicine online broadcasting system is a safe and quick solution which bring high efficiency, help patients timely receive surgery without having to transfer hospital. Patients are consulted and advised on surgery by leading experts.

 

 With direct guidances from specialists of Viet Duc University Hospital (VDUH) through healthcare long-distance system Telemedicine, recently, Quang Ninh General Hospital (QNGH) has saved a male patient T.V.C, 32 years old (Binh Lieu, Quang Ninh) was operated in the situation of recurrent pneumothorax due to rupture of lung cysts .

 

 4 weeks ago, while driving, Mr. C suddenly had chest pain, hard to breath and was received first aid at Cam Pha Regional General Hospital with diagnosis of right pneumothorax. The patient was drained from pleural cavity. After 1 week of removal of chest tube, then he developed chest pain with difficulty breathing, was transferred back to QNGH for further treatment.

 

At the respiratory department of QNGH, Mr. C was received the special chest tube, however after 7 days of ineffectiveness, he was consulted for transferring operation room. At operation room: patient has thoracoscopy, no lesions of lung parenchyma were detected, lung lobe on the right stick to position of drainage end, pulmonary bottom has fluid and less pleural scale. Patient was removed the stickiness, cleaned the pleural cavity, and received 02 drainages.

 

 On 10th day, with the continuous negative pressure chest drainage, CT scan chest shows good leavened, no fluid or gas on both sides of pleural space. The chest tube was removed and the patient discharged 2 days later.

 

 2 days after being discharged from hospital, patient suddenly finds it hard to breathe again, but has no chest pain and was transferred to QNGH which detected pneumothorax must be of a large extent, atelectasis be passive, subcutaneous emphysema.

 

 With the complex nature of a difficult case requiring surgery as soon as possible, a team of experts from VDUH decided to assist and provide direct guidance through Telemedicine system for doctors of Quang Ninh Provincial General Hospitals to conduct Video Assisted Thoracotomy (VATs) for patient.

 

 Directly guiding surgery, there were leading experts from VDUH: Ass. Prof. Nguyen Huu Uoc – Director of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Center; Dr. Luu Quang Thuy, MD, PhD – Vice director of Anesthesia & Surgical Intensive Care Center, Dr. Le Viet Khanh, MD, PhD – Deputy chief of Emergency Abdominal Surgery Department.

Under the guidance of VDUH experts, the surgery was conducted promptly with VATs for management of lesions.

 

 During the surgery, the doctors found the bullae on the right lung, causing pleural adhesion, then proceeded to wash with concentrated Betadin and drained the pleural cavity. After surgery, patients was stable and the post-operative days are going smoothly.

With Telemedicine system based on video conferencing technology integrated with specialized medical equipment for long-distance medical examination and treatment, many people with critical illnesses in remote areas have been saved in time. Successful results from the training and technology transfer of VDUH help improve the quality of medical examination and treatment in local, reduce the workload for central hospitals, and costs for patients.