18 Vietnamese doctors, health workers facing HIV risk after emergency surgery: ministry

18 Vietnamese doctors and health workers at a hospital in Hanoi are facing risk of exposure to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) after conducting an emergency surgery for an HIV-infected female patient.

The surgery was conducted Saturday when a female patient was taken to the emergency department at Hanoi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital with severe hemorrhage in her vagina, Suc Khoe & Doi Song (Health & Life) an online newspaper of Vietnam's Ministry of Health reported on Thursday.

The patient was hospitalized in critical condition of severe blood loss. She fainted and her heart almost stopped, the report quoted Luu Quoc Khai, head of the obstetrics department of the hospital as saying.

After emergency examination, doctors decided to perform surgery to cut her uterus, which was in necrosis status and could not be kept, to stop bleeding and save her life.

The surgery was conducted in emergency room with no special protection instead of in surgery room because of the patient's critical condition, said Khai, adding that the patient could have died if she had not received immediate surgery.

The result of blood test showing that the patient is positive with HIV came out during the surgery process, said the doctor, who then knew they may be exposed to HIV. Khai was among the doctors and health workers who performed the surgery.

The doctors and health workers were examined and are being treated with post-exposure prophylaxis. They will receive further tests after the next three and six months, said the report.

After the incident, director of the hospital said all the emergency rooms should be equipped with protection kits for emergency cases to prevent exposure for doctors and health workers. Endi