Doctors at the Hanoi Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology abandoned safety protocols to save the life of a pregnant woman, unaware she had HIV.

Patient recovering after emergency surgery

Hospital director Nguyen Duy Anh said the woman from Quang Ninh Province was admitted July 4 with vaginal bleeding, requiring the transfusion of four litres of blood before a team of 18 doctors and nurses could stabilise her. Her heart stopped as they worked to stem the bleeding.

"We have never received any case like this.The patient's family didn't inform doctors about her status. At that time, the patient was our priority, and a second of hesitation could have cost her life," Anh said.

There was no time for staff to don protective gear normally used in the event of major blood loss as their priority was to save the woman, he said.

Doctors had to remove the woman's uterus because of necrosis. They were unable to save the baby.

The woman's HIV status was discovered after the results of blood tests came back. The members of the medical team were tested as a precaution and given prophylactic medication until their test results can be determined. They will undergo a follow-up test in three months.

Anh said the chance of any of the staff being infected was low.

The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a precursor to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) and can only be transmitted through direct exchange of bodily fluids, such as unprotected sexual intercourse, transfusion of contaminated blood, from an infected mother to her unborn child, or by sharing unsterilised injection equipment.

Both HIV and AIDS can be managed by a combination of medicines. People with HIV live otherwise normal lives and pose no danger to others.