"We are immensely grateful to you, you were angels." The parents of little Mathias (not his real name) have no more words to thank the healthcare staff at the Nostra Signora della Mercede hospital in Lanusei .
An unfortunate dive while playing in the crystal clear sea of the Porto Frailis coast was about to turn the little one's holiday into a drama . But the promptness of the emergency services and the perfect management of the emergency room by the Lanusei hospital saved Mathias from quadriplegia. And now the child is better and has returned to his home in Bremen , Germany, together with his family.
The incident happened in recent days on the beach of Porto Frailis. Mathias was at the seaside with his parents. A few days ago the family had moved to Sardinia to spend a holiday period along the Ogliastra coasts. At a certain point, due to an unlucky dive, little Mathias hit his head against the seabed : the gravity of the situation immediately became clear. The rescue car started up immediately and the Bari Sardo first aid volunteers arrived on site.
The child was promptly immobilized with a collar and a spinal board , and transported to the emergency room of Our Lady of Mercy, where a neurological examination and an orthopedic examination were carried out. The child was considered a "patient at risk". At this point the synergy between the different departments of the hospital came into play, with the emergency room directed by Dr. Oreste Basso having a fundamental role in saving little Mathias from paralysis. After being made safe by the emergency room doctors, the child was taken to the Radiology department, directed by Dr. Roberto Prost, where an x-ray and an MRI were carried out: the tests found the fracture of three cervical vertebrae at neck height . «In these cases it is important to intervene promptly and without errors – explains Oreste Basso, director of the Emergency Department of the NS della Mercede – otherwise, the risk is that damage of this magnitude could evolve into quadriplegia».
Subsequently, the doctors of the emergency room of the Ogliastra hospital made contact with the Brotzu Neurosurgery of Cagliari: «We heard the specialists explaining the case to them – continues Basso – because there was the possibility that the fracture of these vertebrae would have to be stabilized with an operation surgical". Through a latest generation image viewing system it was possible to show the results of the tests to the specialists of the hospital in the Sardinian capital. «Our Pacs (picture archiving and communication system) system has an application that allows you to send an email with a "protected" link, through which it is possible to immediately view the images of the exams – explains Roberto Prost – this allows you to have consultations in real time by specialists from other hospitals ." Thanks to this system, the Ogliastra emergency room confirmed the correct management of the child . After further discussion between the medical staff of Lanusei and the Brotzu pediatric surgery, it was decided to keep the patient in the Ogliastra hospital waiting for the doctor from the family's insurance company to arrive from Germany, who had to take care of bringing the patient home. little Mathias. «At this juncture it was very important to maintain relationships with the German doctors from the child's insurance who wanted updates on his clinical conditions – highlights Basso – and despite the linguistic difficulties we managed to manage this situation too».
In order to provide the best possible care to the patient , a dedicated room was set up and through the coordination of the Directorate of Health Professions of the Ogliastra Local Health Authority, directed by Dr Giuseppe Cannata, a team of four nurses was organised. The little boy remained in the Lanusei hospital for 5 days, cared for 24 hours a day by healthcare personnel, with continuous medical support from the emergency room, until the arrival of the representative of the German insurance company. Subsequently, the child was transported by ambulance to Olbia airport, from where he took a direct flight to Frankfurt.
«Now Mathias is better – reassures Oreste Basso – he is with his parents in his home in Bremen. In Germany the diagnosis made in Lanusei was confirmed. Now he walks normally and fortunately he doesn't feel any pain, although he will have to keep the collar on for some time."
(Unioneonline/vl)