On July 9, the first issue of the discussion series “Summer dangers and prevention solutions” organized by Dan Tri newspaper in collaboration with Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital (HCMC) took place at the Dan Tri newspaper office.
Doctors share summer injury risks.
Many issues about injuries in general, and summer injuries in particular, have been shared by experts, providing practical information for people - especially sports enthusiasts and families with young children.

Dr. Vi Van Duong, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Nam Saigon International General Hospital (Photo: Trinh Nguyen).
Why does the risk of injury increase in the summer?
Dr. Vi Van Duong, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Saigon South International General Hospital, said that in the summer, children are off school and go out to exercise and play sports such as soccer, badminton, etc. more. Meanwhile, adults also participate in outdoor activities, travel, and mountain climbing. This increases the risk of bone and joint injuries.
In addition, hot summer weather and high temperatures can easily cause loss of concentration. Combined with increased traffic frequency, this can lead to the possibility of traffic accidents.
“Nam Sai Gon General Hospital receives many trauma cases in the summer, from broken arms, broken legs to dislocated joints. These injuries are often overlooked, but if not treated properly, they can lead to long-term complications, affecting mobility and quality of life.
To treat it, you need to take 4 steps. First, stop moving and playing sports. Second, apply compression bandage to the injured area. Third, apply cold compress properly. Fourth, elevate the injured limb.
Except for cases such as fractures with significant displacement, long-term dislocations or severe ligament damage, patients usually do not need surgery if treated properly," said Dr. Duong.

Doctor Vi Van Duong shares situations that can lead to the risk of injury in the summer (Photo: Trinh Nguyen).
According to Dr. Duong, in addition to common injuries during play or picnics, serious injuries during daily activities or work can easily occur in the summer, causing serious consequences such as severed limbs.
At this time, the patient needs to properly preserve the severed limb and go to the hospital promptly, as well as apply modern treatment techniques to reattach the limb, to avoid the risk of disability.
Dr. Duong cited that if the patient arrives at Nam Sai Gon International General Hospital within 6 hours of the accident, doctors will immediately perform emergency treatment. The emergency procedure includes first immobilizing the bone, then surgically connecting the arteries, veins, nerves, tendons and muscles using microsurgical techniques.
The surgery will be performed by a team of 7-8 people, including the main surgeon, the assistant surgeon , the anesthetist and the operating room technician. After surgery, the patient will be closely monitored for 12-24 hours to check blood flow and vascular reactivity, and will be given medications to prevent infection.


Doctors share how to treat summer accidents in specific situations (Photo: Trinh Nguyen).
After the initial intervention, the patient will undergo rehabilitation. The rate and duration of functional recovery depends on the extent of the injury. However, with the development of modern techniques, mobility in many cases can be almost normal.
Many advances in trauma treatment
Doctor Vi Van Duong once received a young patient who was passionate about football, unfortunately had an accident that resulted in a severe knee injury, and went to many places for examination but could not be cured.
After being admitted to the hospital, he examined and urgently performed arthroscopic knee surgery on the patient. After the surgery, the patient was soon given physical therapy. The very next day, the patient's knee was able to bend 90 degrees. After a period of training according to the schedule, only 6-8 months later, the patient was able to play sports normally again.
“Witnessing the quick recovery, the patient continued to confidently refer friends and family. I operated on the patient, the patient’s mother, and even the patient’s brother. Every time they went for a follow-up visit, the whole family came with them,” Dr. Duong shared.

A case of sports injury treatment at South Saigon International General Hospital (Photo: Hospital).
Dr. Duong affirmed that the treatment in the field of orthopedic trauma in Vietnam has now developed very well. For example, at the Saigon South International General Hospital, doctors have succeeded in minimally invasive surgery, artificial joint replacement, microsurgery, and have mastered arthroscopy.
With the support of a modern camera system through an incision of only 0.5-1cm, experts can observe and repair the internal structure to effectively treat injuries to the knee, shoulder, and ankle joints.
Depending on the needs of movement, the recovery plan for each patient will be individualized, with detailed exercise plans from the first days after surgery.
“The most important thing is that the treatment plan is tailored to the patient’s actual condition. For example, after surgery, the physical therapy team will instruct the patient on exercises such as knee flexion and extension, proper shoulder movement, and the use of radio waves, therapeutic ultrasound, or cold compresses according to each recovery stage.
Upon discharge, patients are provided with home exercises such as active muscle contraction, light walking, and cycling. After 1-3 months, depending on their condition, patients can go to the gym or swim. Our main goal is to help patients recover quickly and return to daily activities or sports as soon as possible,” Dr. Duong analyzed.

MC Thanh Bach was treated for injuries and recovered quickly at Nam Saigon International General Hospital (Photo: Hospital).
Real life situations
At the seminar, many questions were sent to the doctor by readers. Mr. Nhan (in Ho Chi Minh City) suffered a collapsed spine after a traffic accident and had cement injected. He wondered what he should eat now, whether he needed to abstain or pay attention to anything.
Answering the above question, Dr. Duong said that after cement injection, patients need to wear a back belt, have regular osteoporosis check-ups, and supplement calcium through food (fish, shrimp, crab) or medication. Patients also need to avoid overeating or skipping meals, maintain a balanced, nutritious diet, and avoid strenuous exercise and do gentle physical therapy to maintain back muscle strength.
Mr. Thanh Hanh (30 years old) broke his femur while playing pickleball. “What can I do to avoid complications, and how long will it take to play sports again?”, he asked.

The doctor answered questions sent to the program by readers (Photo: Trinh Nguyen).
Dr. Duong shared that a femur fracture is a complex injury because this area has many surrounding blood vessels. However, thanks to the abundant blood supply, the patient's ability to heal the bone is very good, with a near-complete recovery rate if treated properly.
After surgery, the patient can begin limited walking (about 30% of body weight). In the next 1-2 months, the patient can walk with crutches. After 2-3 months, the patient usually walks almost normally, provided that he/she complies with physical therapy and muscle strengthening exercises…
In response to the question from reader Nguyen Le (35 years old) about a recent fall while mountain climbing, severe hip and hand injuries, whether surgery can be performed at the same time, Dr. Duong affirmed that both injuries require early surgery to restore function. Performing surgery at the same time will help reduce the number of surgeries, shorten recovery time and save costs for the patient.


In the photo is the O-arm system at Nam Saigon International General Hospital during trauma surgery (Photo: Hospital).
Doctor Vi Van Duong recommends that everyone should be more aware of disease prevention than treatment to avoid summer accidents. Specifically, they should warm up thoroughly before playing sports and use protective gear depending on the sport. Elderly people should limit climbing high mountains or damp places to avoid slipping and falling. Children need to be closely observed by their parents when playing.
When injured, you need to stop moving and go to a medical facility early for appropriate intervention.

The first issue of the seminar "Summer dangers and prevention solutions" answered a series of questions about injuries (Photo: Trinh Nguyen).
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/tai-nan-mua-he-canh-bao-nhung-tinh-trang-nguy-hiem-bi-xem-nhe-20250710020544164.htm
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