Baby girl was "blackened" when admitted to the hospital, her parents were also severely burned in the fire in Ho Chi Minh City.

(Dan Tri) - "At that time, I was very panicked, the fire was very big. When I was taken to the hospital, my body was covered in black smoke and dust", one of the victims of the big fire that happened in Ho Chi Minh City recounted.

On March 7, a representative of Children's Hospital 1 (HCMC) informed about the health status of the victims of the cake shop fire that occurred on February 24 in Cau Ong Lanh Ward (District 1), after nearly 2 weeks of treatment.

Child with severe respiratory burns recovers spectacularly

The first case was a boy named PDH (15 years old) who was admitted to the hospital in a state of conscious awareness, respiratory failure, and blood oxygen index (SpO2) of 92%. Chest X-ray showed diffuse infiltration of the left lung, respiratory endoscopy showed 3rd-4th degree burns to the airways, and the entire airway mucosa was covered with smoke.

After washing the coal dust in the airways with sterile saline, realizing the condition was too severe, the medical team intubated the boy and transferred him to the Intensive Care Unit - Anti-Poisoning Unit (ICU).

15-year-old victim in the cake shop fire in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Khanh An).

Here, the patient was put on a high-speed ventilator, given sedatives, antibiotics, and fluid replacement. During the patient's care, doctors discovered a burn on the patient's airway, causing pain and increased blood pressure.

After 3 days in the intensive care unit and receiving intensive pain relief, the patient's respiratory and infection status were stable. At this time, the doctors performed a second endoscopy and discovered that the inflammatory tissue (inflammation of the airways, edema, swelling, and blistering of the airways) was still present.

The treatment team continues to consult to come up with an appropriate treatment regimen, using anti-inflammatory drugs and other supportive measures to reduce inflammation and scarring for the patient.

Specialist II Doctor Le Binh Bao Tinh, Deputy Head of the Respiratory Department, Children's Hospital 1, said that a patient with severe respiratory injuries needs to be monitored for a long time (5-10 years) to carefully evaluate the wound, in order to help the child have a healthy life and minimize sequelae.

After the second endoscopy showed improvement in the inflammatory lesions, the doctors prescribed additional anti-inflammatory and antibiotic treatment for the patient, and continued respiratory support with a ventilator.

Baby H. recovered well after many days of treatment (Photo: Khanh An).

After 1 week of treatment, the patient's health condition was stable, he had good contact and less pain, was able to practice breathing and was weaned off the ventilator.

"As soon as the breathing tube was removed, the patient was able to talk. When the patient said "I'm fine", the whole team was overjoyed because his voice was clear and loud. This shows that the patient has recovered very well," Associate Professor Pham Van Quang, Head of the ICU, shared.

Up to now, the patient's health has progressed favorably, he is breathing naturally and will be discharged on March 7.

The next case is a girl named D.NY (13 years old), admitted to the hospital with coal dust covering her face, around her nose and in her throat; many skin abrasions scattered on both hands and on her face. The patient was intubated, had her airway examined, and was diagnosed with 12% skin burns of 2nd-3rd degree, and burns of 3rd-4th degree of airway, and was on a ventilator.

Baby Y. is being treated at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department, Children's Hospital 1 (Photo: Khanh An).

Specialist II Doctor Diep Que Trinh, Head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department, said the patient was given antibiotics, fluid replacement, and dressing changes to treat the burn. After 1 week of active treatment, the patient was removed from the breathing tube on March 5. To date, the patient has recovered well and is expected to be discharged soon.

The remaining case is a 9-year-old boy, hospitalized with minor burns on his forearms and shins. The patient was diagnosed with first- and second-degree burns on his forearms and shins, covering less than 20%. After examination, the doctors discharged the patient for outpatient treatment.

Hide in the bathroom and pour water on yourself when there is a big fire

Recalling the day of the fire, PDH was still in shock. The boy said that during the recent Lunar New Year, he came from Thai Binh to Ho Chi Minh City to stay at his uncle's house. On the day of the incident, he was sleeping when someone called out loudly.

When H. woke up, he discovered that the ground floor was on fire, and everyone started running upstairs. H. and everyone on the third floor turned on the water tap to put out the fire, but it was unsuccessful. They also could not break the side window to escape because the outside door was armored.

At that time, a tenant called the children into the bathroom and poured water on them. H. then fell into a coma, and when he woke up, he was in the hospital with difficulty breathing. Now that his health has stabilized, H. feels grateful that he was lucky enough to be saved by the doctor.

Similarly, a girl named Y. said that a tenant also poured water on her, then hid in the bathroom and fainted without realizing it. When she was taken to the emergency room and intubated, Y. was still conscious and able to communicate with the doctors.

Baby Y's hands are still heavily bandaged due to burn wounds (Photo: Khanh An).

When recounting the incident, little Y.'s eyes filled with tears. Her parents are still being treated at Cho Ray Hospital and have to be taken care of by a cousin.

"At that time, I was very scared and panicked. The fire was very big. When I was taken to the hospital, my body was covered in black smoke and dust. I hope my parents get well soon so my family can see each other again," Y. confided.

Associate Professor Pham Van Quang recommends that everyone should focus on equipping children with escape skills. Because children often lack experience and are easily panicked in dangerous situations, leading to not being able to react in time or make the right decision to save themselves when encountering an incident such as a fire or explosion.

Specifically, it is necessary to equip children with basic skills such as wetting their bodies, closing the bathroom door, crawling low to avoid inhaling toxic fumes, using wet towels to cover their nose and mouth, and recognizing emergency exits. These can significantly reduce the risk of injury.

It is also important to practice hypothetical situations at home and at school, so that children will be calmer in the event of an accident and have a better chance of escaping safely.

According to information at the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department, Cho Ray Hospital, the health of the four adults who were burned in the above incident and treated there is gradually stabilizing.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/be-gai-den-kit-khi-vao-vien-cha-me-cung-bong-nang-trong-vu-chay-o-tphcm-20250307154150569.htm