2015 Can Tho and Kien Giang mission

Introduction

Can Tho is the fourth largest city in Vietnam and the largest city of the Mekong Delta region. Can Tho Central General Hospital is an 800 bed multi-specialty and referral. IHVN accepted the invitation of the hospital director, to develop and offer a collaborative training program for its newly opened cardiovascular center.

Impact Health Vietnam (IHVN) also returned to Kien Giang (KGGH) General Hospital for a third mission in September of 2015. To reach as many medical staff as possible, our team visited three additional training sites: Giong Rieng District Hospital, Ha Tien District Hospital, Phu Quoc Island District Hospital.

Cardiac Surgery and ICU care

The IHVN surgical team collaborated with the Cho Ray Hospital team to assist and train Can Tho’s new surgical team. During this mission, 7 patients with multiple valvular diseases received open heart surgeries. IHVN coordinated donations of mechanical valves from Medtronic and Edward. Other donations included: sutures, perfusion supplies, OR supplies and drugs used in OR and ICU care. IHVN also provided financial support to 7 cardiac patients.

Post operatively, IHVN’s team provided post op care and assistance to all 7 surgical patients. This team of Intensivist and ICU RNs from IHVN provided bed side training for local intensivists and nurses focusing on ventilator care and use of medications. Daily mini lectures were held on cardiac/ICU topics as requested by the local team.

Interventional Cardiology

The Cath Lab team on Can Tho provided bedside consultations on difficult cases and collaborated on 12 angiograms. Patients received 6 drug eluting Medtronic stents donated through IHVN. All patients had excellent post procedure outcomes and no complications.

Our team of cardiologists collaborated with local staff in Kien Giang on 101 cardiac cath lab procedures including 86 angiograms, 52 of which included stent placement. Donations of 30 stents and 21 balloons were used in these procedures. In addition, 15 permanent pacemakers and 3 ICDs were placed, and 4 of these devices were donations through IHVN.

IHVN brought medications for cardiac patients and cath lab procedures.

Cardiology and Echocardiography

IHVN cardiac sonographers, performed echocardiograms for all Cath Lab patients and offered one on one training for local cardiologists. The echo team also performed 15 pre op Echocardiograms for the surgeries done during this mission.

IHVN brought a cardiologist with expertise in adult cardiology to work with local staff doctors. The IHVN echo team and cardiologist also participated daily in consultation with surgical teams for all 7 open heart surgeries performed during the week, this included training in trans esophageal echocardiography in the OR.

Education and Training:

Education is always a primary focus of all IHVN missions. Our team in Kien Giang delivered a diverse program of hands-on training at the bedside to KGGH staff. IHVN cardiac sonographers provided training and assistance to local staff, seeing several cases per day.

Daily rounds with an IHVN intensivist provided excellent guidance on each patient’s progress in ICU and CCU.

Lectures were provided by the IHVN team on several topics requested by the local team.

Training in CPR and BMV intraosseous vascular access was provided for 124 nurses and physicians.

The three district hospital sites in Giong Rieng, Ha Tien and Phu Quoc send patients to KGGH for advanced treatment, making it especially important that they are proficient in the early and efficient diagnosis and treatment of cardiac related illnesses. Classes included CPR, ACLS, EKG and 12 lead EKG interpretation, Cardiogenic shock, and ACS.

IHVN missions would not be possible without the outstanding services of our interpreters and the selfless and dedicated support of our non-medical team members, photographers, and videographers.

2015 Kien Giang Mission Team