Successfully saved the life of a 35-week-old patient with a perforated stomach

This afternoon, July 3, information from Quang Tri General Hospital said that the unit had just successfully saved the life of a premature baby born at 35 weeks with a perforated stomach.

Patient HTX, 35 weeks, weighing 2kg, from Dakrong commune, Quang Tri province, was admitted to the hospital on June 5 in a state of poor mobility and severe respiratory failure. During the monitoring process, doctors found that the child was not responding well to treatment, had a distended abdomen, and had dirty green gastric fluid. An X-ray was ordered and showed free air in the abdomen - a typical sign of a perforated hollow organ.

The patient was discharged from the hospital today, July 3 - Photo: TP

Immediately, doctors from the Department of Pediatrics and the Department of General Surgery, Quang Tri General Hospital, held a consultation and agreed to perform emergency surgery. After about 90 minutes, a perforated stomach was discovered at the fundus of the stomach, closed, cleaned and drained the abdomen.

The patient was monitored in the neonatal intensive care unit after surgery, receiving respiratory support, total parenteral nutrition, strong antibiotics, infection control, and nutrition. Up to now, the patient's health has stabilized, the surgical wound is dry, and bowel movements are completely normal. The patient was discharged this morning, July 3.

Dr. Tran Van Nam, Department of Pediatrics, Provincial General Hospital, said that gastric perforation in newborns is an extremely dangerous surgical emergency, with a mortality rate of 30-60% if not diagnosed and treated promptly. The more premature the newborn, the higher the mortality rate.

"The causes of neonatal gastric perforation are divided into three main groups: spontaneous perforation; due to trauma or underlying disease. In particular, patient X. suffered from gastric perforation due to premature birth and pyloric stenosis. During surgery, doctors cut the diaphragm and created a widening of the pyloric stenosis. The child may experience sudden abdominal distension, cyanosis, respiratory failure, abdominal distension, peritonitis and septic shock within just a few hours. Late diagnosis and treatment can be life-threatening for the patient," said Dr. Nam.

The rescue of the 35-week premature baby marks a new step forward in the development of Surgery in particular and Pediatrics in general at Quang Tri General Hospital.

Truc Phuong

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/cuu-song-thanh-cong-benh-nhi-35-tuan-bi-thung-da-day-195493.htm