Doctor Pham Nguyen Hien Nhan from the General Surgery Department reported that four days prior, the patient was transferred from a provincial hospital in Binh Duong Province in severe shock and suffering from respiratory and circulatory failure, requiring intubation.

The boy, from a highland area, had been experiencing fever and diarrhea at home for two days before being admitted to the provincial hospital, where his condition did not improve.

After examination, the medical team performed emergency surgery with a diagnosis of intestinal blockage and septic shock. The operation, which lasted over two hours, revealed the entire length of the boy's small intestine was filled with large and small roundworms.

To remove all the roundworms, doctors had to make several incisions along the small intestine. Additionally, a 70 cm segment of the small intestine, which had become twisted and necrotic, was removed and sutured. Four days post-surgery, the patient has been recovering well and is able to eat.

Dr. Pham Ngoc Thach, the hospital’s deputy director, noted that roundworms are commonly found in children living in unsanitary environments with hot and humid climates.

When roundworms accumulate in large numbers, they can cause intestinal blockage. Common symptoms include severe abdominal pain, vomiting (especially of green-yellow fluids or worms), a distended abdomen, inability to pass gas or stool, restlessness, loss of appetite, fatigue, and fever.

If detected late, a mass of roundworms can lead to complete intestinal obstruction, causing dilation and necrosis of the affected segment, resulting in sepsis and septic shock, which can be life-threatening.

Bach Duong