Congratulations on the Second Prize of the Young Investigator Award organized by the Vietnam Society of Cardiology

Recently, the research project: “Effectiveness of the Pulmonary Embolism Rapid Response Team (PERT TEAM) in treating patients with pulmonary embolism in a developing country” by the research group of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital (BV ĐHYD TPHCM) received the SECOND PRIZE - YOUNG INVESTIGATOR AWARD (Young Investigator Award). This award is organized once a year by the Vietnam Society of Cardiology.

The research project was conducted by Prof. Dr. Bùi Thế Dũng, MSc Dr. Trần Đăng Khương, BSCKI. Nguyễn Thị Tuyết Mai - Department of Internal Cardiology; MSc Dr. Vũ Hoàng Vũ, Prof. Dr. Trần Hòa – Department of Interventional Cardiology and Associate Prof. Dr. Lê Minh Khôi – Head of Science and Training Department, Ho Chi Minh City Cardiovascular Hospital.

Through the results of this research project, Ho Chi Minh City University Hospital of Medicine has officially implemented the PERT model in the treatment of pulmonary embolism, helping critically ill pulmonary embolism patients receive timely treatment, reducing mortality rates, helping patients achieve a good quality of life, and avoiding long-term complications of the disease. This also helps the Hospital become a trusted destination for lower-level hospitals and city hospitals when sending severely affected pulmonary embolism patients for treatment.

For Vietnam's medical field, the success of the project has demonstrated that the rapid response group for pulmonary embolism is not overly dependent on the facilities of each center, thus providing a basis to scale this model to lower-level hospitals, optimizing the diagnosis and care of patients with pulmonary embolism. For the scientific research activities of Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, this research success is a morale boost, encouraging doctors to continue their own research projects, thereby contributing to improved patient care and treatment effectiveness.

Representing the research group, Associate Professor Dr. Trần Đăng Khương shared: “The mission of Ho Chi Minh City University Medical Center Hospital is “Providing optimal health care solutions through the integration of treatment, research, and training”. I am a member of the Hospital, so I understand this mission even more clearly, and that is also the reason that drives me to write this research and devote my energy to carrying it out.

The research process faced many difficulties, there were moments that seemed like it had to stop, but thanks to the encouragement of the Hospital Leadership Board as well as the Department Leadership Board, and the support of my colleagues, I was able to reach the end of the research. The research results indicate the effectiveness of the PERT team model, which is a great joy for me personally as well as for the cardiovascular center team. From here, we have found an optimal treatment model for patients with pulmonary embolism.

Encouraged by the department leadership, I decided to register for the competition and was very surprised to achieve the Second Prize. For me, this is a very good, very meaningful competition for young doctors who have a passion for scientific research. This achievement is a great motivation for me to continue participating in many other research activities in finding optimal treatment methods for cardiovascular patients.”

Overview introduction of the project “Effectiveness of the Pulmonary Embolism Rapid Response Team (PERT TEAM) in the treatment of patients with pulmonary embolism in developing countries”:
Pulmonary embolism is a common internal medicine emergency, and the mortality rate in cases of moderate to severe risk pulmonary embolism remains very high. Nowadays, many methods have been developed to treat patients with severe pulmonary embolism. However, due to a lack of high-quality evidence, choosing and deciding on treatment methods still faces many difficulties. The rapid response pulmonary embolism team at the University Medical and Pharmacy Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City was established in 2012 to address this issue.

When there is a case of severe pulmonary embolism, the rapid response team will convene immediately with the presence of many experts; this expert group will decide the optimal treatment method for the patient, mobilize hospital resources so the patient can access high‑tech treatment methods as early as possible. The model has proven effective in developed countries, where there are abundant infrastructure and expert resources. Will this team operate effectively in developing countries, where medical resources are still limited? That is the purpose of this study.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trần Đăng Khương and colleagues conducted research at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital over a period of 2 years. Data show that with timely and active support from the pulmonary embolism team, the mortality rate of patients with severe pulmonary embolism has decreased significantly, many patients have recovered and been discharged in good health.