Shanghai doctors assist local medics in the Tibetan region
Patients in critical condition due to tuberculous pericarditis in Guoluo Tibetan Prefecture no longer have to travel all the way to the capital city of Xining after Shanghai medical professionals arrive in batches to support local health services.
Tuberculous pericarditis is an important complication of tuberculosis, which affects over 20 million people in the country and is on the rise. It accounts for up to 36 percent of all pericardial diseases. Serious conditions can lead to fatal complications, such as acute heart failure.
People in Qinghai's plateau regions have a high incidence of tuberculosis due to geographical factors and poor personal hygiene habits. Doctors say people in those areas are more likely to develop complications like poor respiration after contracting tuberculosis.
Previously, such patients with serious complications had to travel to Xining for treatment, but the presence of medical experts from Shanghai at the Guoluo Tibetan Prefecture People's Hospital allows patients to receive convenient and high-quality care close to home.
Fluid is extracted from a 14-year-old Tibetan boy by Shanghai doctors in the Guoluo Tibetan Prefecture People's Hospital.
Three doctors from Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital who specialize in cardiology and critical care medicine recently saved two critical Tibetan patients with tuberculous pericarditis in Guoluo, including a 14-year-old boy.
His parents took him to the hospital late last month. He had trouble breathing and couldn't sleep for several days.
The Shanghai doctors performed emergency treatment on the boy and diagnosed him with acute heart failure, respiratory failure and a large collection of fluid in the pericardium.
Doctors warned that if treatment was not administered, the boy may not survive. They extracted 1,500 milliliters of fluid and gave the boy other treatments to stabilize his condition. He was recently released from the hospital after completing his recovery.
According to Zhou Feng, president of the hospital and member of Shanghai's supporting team, the local medical capability is improving with the assistance of Shanghai experts.
The successful emergency rescue of two critically ill patients indicates local medical progress.
