on 14/7, representatives from Phu Tho General Provincial Hospital announced the patient’s health recovered with no neurological sequelae after special treatment. to prevent future sudden cardiac arrest, doctors implanted an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) before his discharge.

previously, the young man, who had a healthy medical history, unexpectedly became cyanotic and lost consciousness during his lunch break at the office. colleagues immediately rushed him to the nearest medical facility for emergency care. however, his condition quickly worsened, causing him to suffer circulatory arrest during transfer to Tuyen Quang General Provincial Hospital. after 15 minutes of intensive resuscitation, his heart resumed beating. doctors intubated him, administered vasopressors, and continued transferring him to a central-level hospital.

the challenges continued during transport, as the patient experienced two more episodes of circulatory arrest. the emergency team had to resuscitate him in the ambulance to maintain his life. facing this critical situation, his family decided to change the course of treatment, admitting him to the Intensive Care and Toxicology Department (on-demand service) at Phu Tho General Provincial Hospital.

the patient undergoing treatment at the hospital. *Photo: Hospital provided*

upon admission, the young man was in a deep coma, with a high fever of 39,6 degrees Celsius, and his blood pressure was entirely dependent on high-dose vasopressors. tests revealed severe lung damage, critically reduced blood oxygenation, metabolic acidosis, and severe multi-organ failure. recognizing the brain as the most vulnerable organ to oxygen deprivation after circulatory arrest, doctors immediately activated the most advanced resuscitation protocol, focusing on targeted temperature management.

doctor Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai, head of the Intensive Care and Toxicology Department (on-demand service), explained that this artificial "hibernation" state maintains the patient's body temperature at 33-36 degrees Celsius. this process minimizes metabolic demand and oxygen consumption, thereby preventing brain edema, visceral hemorrhage, and inhibiting neurotoxic substances. global medical literature records that this therapy reduces mortality by 14% and severe sequelae by 11% if applied within the "golden hour" of the first six hours after the event.

concurrently with hypothermia, the treatment team implemented continuous hemodialysis, mechanical ventilation, and closely monitored vital signs. after 24 hours of cooling, the patient’s body temperature was gradually raised according to protocol. when sedatives were discontinued, his consciousness began to recover. brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results showed only very minor damage due to oxygen deprivation, an unexpected outcome for a case with multiple cardiac arrests. on the next day, the patient improved significantly, able to breathe independently and discontinue all hemodialysis support or vasopressors.

thuy quynh