Upon receiving a call from a provincial hospital about an 80-year-old man suffering from acute myocardial infarction causing pulmonary oedema and an acute stroke, the FV 24/7 Golden Hour heart attack response team immediately took action. The team successfully saved the patient in less than 30 minutes.
With its international-standard Cathlab, a highly experienced cardiac emergency team always on standby, and strict adherence to the ’70-minute golden protocol’, FV Hospital has promptly saved thousands of patients in critical cardiac emergencies.
Over the years, FV has been recognised as one of the leading cardiac emergency centres in southern Vietnam, regularly receiving cardiac emergency cases transferred from provincial hospitals, medical facilities in Ho Chi Minh City, and neighbouring countries.
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| Ho Minh Tuan performs an intervention to reopen a blocked artery, saving the patient from an acute myocardial infarction. Photo: FV |
Swift lifesaving of elderly man from stroke and acute myocardial infarction
NVT, an 80-years-old Vietnamese expatriate from France, was admitted to a provincial hospital with chest tightness, shortness of breath, acute pulmonary oedema, and limb weakness.
Doctors diagnosed that the patient was suffering from both an acute stroke and an acute myocardial infarction, a rare and dangerous medical condition.
Realising that the case was beyond their treatment capacity, the provincial hospital immediately contacted FV Hospital, which is equipped with one of the most advanced cardiac emergency teams and Cathlab in the region, to transfer the patient.
After a four-hour journey combined with emergency resuscitation, the patient arrived at FV. The Golden Hour team, already on standby, promptly treated the patient, making use of every precious second to save him from the critical condition.
Initial examinations showed that the patient had acute stroke and acute myocardial infarction causing pulmonary oedema, with severely narrowed and heavily calcified coronary arteries, and a heart ejection fraction of only 30 per cent. Without timely treatment, cardiac arrest could occur.
Ho Minh Tuan, head of the Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology Department at FV Hospital, explained that patient T. had multiple complex underlying conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and heart failure, which are all high-risk factors for a stroke. The combination of these factors in an elderly patient creates conditions that lead to an acute stroke.
The patient was quickly taken for cardiac intervention in FV’s Cathlab. Under the direction of Dr. Tuan, the medical team used Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA), Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS), and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) to identify the exact location and characteristics of the blocked artery.
Tuan inserted a catheter into the artery, broke through the calcified plaque using a special atherectomy device, balloon performed angioplasty, and placed a stent to restore blood flow. Follow-up imaging with DSA and OCT confirmed that the blood flow had been completely restored. The entire emergency procedure took only 23 minutes.
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| The patient regained nearly normal health after five days of treatment at FV Hospital. Photo: FV |
“The patient’s acute myocardial infarction was treated in time. Regarding the stroke, he was treated with optimal medication and is now stable, so no intervention was needed,” Tuan said.
After five days of treatment, the patient’s health had improved significantly. Tests and echocardiography results showed that his heart function had nearly returned to normal.
“The doctors and nurses took great care of me, helping me overcome the critical condition and recover quickly. FV made me feel as comfortable as if I were at home,” patient T. shared emotionally upon discharge.
Behind the Golden Protocol that has saved thousands of cardiac patients
Recent statistics show that cardiovascular disease causes around 200,000 deaths per year, accounting for 25 per cent of all deaths in Vietnam.
Because heart diseases progress rapidly, experts emphasise that prompt cardiac emergency care plays a crucial role in preventing death or severe complications.
90 minutes (the period from a patient’s arrival at the emergency department to the moment the blocked artery is reopened) is the golden time recommended by the European Society of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
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| Ho Minh Tuan, Ph.D., head of Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology Department, FV Hospital |
At FV Hospital, this golden time is shortened to 70 minutes thanks to its dedicated FV 24/7 Golden Hour heart attack response team and a treatment protocol that meets Joint Commission International quality standards, one of the strictest benchmarks in global healthcare.
In cases where an emergency transfer is pre-notified, the team can prepare in advance, reducing the procedure time to about 25-30 minutes.
Patient T. was one of the successful emergency cases thanks to the rapid and precise response of the FV 24/7 Golden Hour heart attack response team.
In case of stroke or heart attack, call the FV Hospital Emergency Hotline: (028) 35 11 35 00. For more information about FV Hospital’s medical services, please visit 6 Nguyen Luong Bang street, Tan My ward (formerly District 7), Ho Chi Minh City, or call (028) 35 11 33 33.
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