On the afternoon of 17/3, a 64-year-old man, Nguyen Van Nam, collapsed unconscious on a recreational volleyball court in Vinh Hung ward, TP Vinh. Doctor Bien, who works at Hoan My Vinh Hospital, was taking his child for a walk when he noticed a crowd gathered around the victim. Recognizing signs of cardiac arrest (stopped heart, stopped breathing), Doctor Bien immediately initiated on-site first aid, performing chest compressions, checking the airway, and applying basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques.
"At that moment, I didn't have time to think much; I just focused on providing first aid, because every second was crucial", Doctor Bien said.
A few minutes later, Doctor Nguyen Cao Viet from TP Vinh General Hospital, who happened to be passing by, immediately joined his colleague. The two doctors persistently performed chest compressions for 15 minutes until Mr. Nam showed slight movement and started breathing on his own.
By 18/3, Mr. Nam's health gradually stabilized after his family took him to Nghe An General Friendship Hospital for treatment. Doctors suspect a cardiovascular condition was the cause, but a final conclusion has not been reached. In medicine, cardiorespiratory arrest abruptly interrupts the heart's pumping action, leading to organ failure. The brain, deprived of oxygen for just a few minutes, can suffer permanent damage or immediate death. Timely and correctly performed first aid is crucial for maintaining circulation and protecting the brain from irreversible damage.
Recently, prompt out-of-hospital resuscitation skills have saved many victims from death. Most recently, on 16/3, Doctor Nguyen Huy Tien revived a 22-year-old man who stopped breathing after a traffic accident on Nguyen Chi Thanh Street in Ha Noi, performing continuous chest compressions for two minutes. In late February, a female nurse from Bach Mai Hospital performed a similar procedure, saving a supermarket security guard who suffered sudden cardiac arrest.
Duc Hung
