In the midst of life and death, Hainan Chengmei Hospital, following the relevant emergency treatment regulations, activated the green channel and performed an emergency surgery after obtaining verbal informed consent from the family members, successfully saving the patient's life from the jaws of death.
A young man suffered a sudden fatal myocardial infarction
Mr. Tian, 44 years old this year, has been working at a construction site in Chengmai, Hainan.
At around 7 am that day, he suddenly felt chest pain, accompanied by profuse sweating, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and difficulty breathing. He immediately called 120 and was sent to the hospital's emergency department.
Deng Chun, the director of the emergency department, quickly diagnosed the patient with suspected acute myocardial infarction based on his rich emergency treatment experience. He immediately initiated a multidisciplinary consultation and invited the cardiovascular medicine team for emergency intervention.
No one could have predicted that the illness would be so perilous. While the medical staff were conducting an inquiry and assessment, Mr. Tian suddenly lost consciousness, and the electrocardiogram monitor indicated ventricular fibrillation. External chest compression and rapid defibrillation were immediately administered, and the patient quickly regained sinus rhythm.
Introduction by Director Deng Chun
The golden rescue window for cardiac arrest is only a few minutes, and the survival rate of the patient decreases with every minute of delay in rescue. What's more challenging is that, according to the standard procedure, family members need to sign and confirm for the surgery, but Mr. Tian's family members were far away in Shandong and unable to arrive in time. However, at this moment, the patient's life was hanging by a thread, and there was simply no time to wait.
Life comes first, the hospital has activated the green channel
At the critical moment of life and death, the hospital activated the green channel in accordance with relevant emergency treatment regulations.
Zhou Suping, the deputy director of the Cardiovascular Medicine Department, immediately called the patient's family and clearly and meticulously informed them of the severity of the illness, the treatment plan, and the necessity of surgery.
Upon obtaining verbal consent and approval from the patient's family for the surgery, the hospital immediately activated the emergency treatment plan. The medical department swiftly completed the approval process for emergency treatment, buying precious time for the rescue efforts.
Meanwhile, a race against time for cardiopulmonary resuscitation was in full swing.
"Prepare for defibrillation", "Intubation", "Ventilator-assisted breathing"… The medical teams from the emergency department and cardiology department cooperated seamlessly and performed precise operations, successfully completing five electric defibrillation procedures within just a few minutes. The patient's weak vital signs gradually stabilized, paving the way for subsequent surgery.
Once the patient's vital signs stabilized preliminarily, the medical team utilized the green channel to transport him to the catheterization room for emergency coronary angiography. The angiography revealed that the proximal right coronary artery was completely occluded, completely interrupting myocardial blood supply. The patient was at risk of experiencing a second cardiac arrest or sudden death at any moment.
The team led by Lin Xiaoming, director of the Cardiovascular Medicine Department, performed a quick surgery and successfully implanted two heart stents into the patient. After the surgery, the patient's occluded blood vessel recovered patency, myocardial blood flow perfusion improved, and vital signs gradually stabilized.
Doctors warn: many myocardial infarctions in young and middle-aged people are "endured and delayed"
After the surgery, Director Deng Chun of the Emergency Department reflected deeply on the entire life-and-death rescue process. He stated that the patient's self-rescue awareness played a significant role in the successful implementation of the surgery.
Many migrant workers and young and middle-aged office workers, when experiencing discomfort such as chest pain, chest tightness, and palpitations, often feel that "they are young and can handle it", and habitually hold on and delay seeking medical treatment, thus missing the golden 120-minute treatment window for myocardial infarction and ultimately leading to tragedy.
"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is only a temporary life-saving measure. Opening the blocked blood vessels is one of the key measures for treating myocardial infarction (MI)." Lin Xiaoming reminded that nowadays, the number of young and middle-aged MI patients is increasing year by year, and they generally exhibit three major characteristics: long-term high-intensity exertion, disrupted day-night rhythm, and non-standard treatment of underlying chronic diseases. Their vascular lesions are highly concealed, with no obvious symptoms at ordinary times. Once they develop the disease, it leads to complete vascular occlusion and cardiac arrest, which is dangerous and has a high mortality rate.
Director Lin Xiaoming's team (second from right) led the team to visit patients (schematic diagram)
Currently, Mr. Tian has made a good recovery after surgery, with steady improvement in various physical indicators. He has been discharged smoothly and returned to Shandong for recuperation.
Recalling the moment of his illness, Mr. Tian is still filled with fear: "At that time, I felt suffocated and lost consciousness all of a sudden. Now, I think it was really dangerous. I will never stay up late and overexert my body again, and I dare not stop taking medication casually."
Upon learning that her husband had been successfully treated in a critical situation without any family members present, the hurriedly arrived wife was filled with gratitude: "I wasn't by his side at the time. By the time I reached the hospital, the surgery had already been completed, and he was safe. I sincerely thank all the medical staff. It was you who saved his life!"
(Friendly reminder: This article is a case study for popular science purposes and is not intended as individualized medical advice. For specific treatment plans, please consult a doctor at a reputable medical institution for comprehensive evaluation. If you experience sudden and persistent chest pain, chest tightness, sweating, or difficulty breathing, please call 120 immediately and do not hold back; patients with underlying diseases should follow standardized treatment and do not arbitrarily discontinue medication.)