Expat saved by first-time procedure in Dubai
The patient was brought with complaints of drowsiness and weakness. His blood pressure was very low, so we started IV fluids to keep him stable.” Dr Shibu Bahuleyan, cardiologist, Rashid Hospital
dubai — The Rashid Hospital successfully carried out the first pulmonary embolism catheter directed clot lysis procedure in Dubai, saving the life of a 64-year-old Arab expatriate.
Pulmonary embolism is a lifethreatening condition that is caused by blood clots that travel from the legs to the lungs and block the blood flow to the lungs. Dr Shibu Bahuleyan, cardiologist at the Rashid Hospital, said: “The patient was brought into the emergency department with complaints of drowsiness and weakness. His blood pressure was very low, so we immediately started IV fluids to keep him stable. We also conducted a line of tests including an ECG and chest X-ray.
“The two most common causes of such low blood pressure can be a heart attack or a serious infection in the body. However, the tests we conducted ruled out both these conditions. The ECG pointed out that there was a strain on the right side of the heart.”
Dr Bahuleyan added: “We also conducted a D-timer test which was elevated and that provided a clue to a possible pulmonary embolism. A CT pulmonary angiogram confirmed this and revealed a huge clot, blocking almost 90 to 95 per cent of the arteries in both lungs. The angiogram also revealed that the clot had caused failure of the right side of the heart.”
Dr Ayman Al Sibai, interventional radiologist at the Rashid Hospital, said: “Usually, such patients are treated with anticoagulants (blood thinners) and fibrinolytics (clot dissolving drugs). However, in some cases, internal bleeding is the main complication of clot dissolving drugs. This patient had a low platelet count, which is a major risk factor for internal bleeding; so we had to opt for another procedure. We went ahead with catheter directed therapy. We kept the catheter in the patient for 36 hours ensuring a very low and slow release of the clot dissolving medication.
“Very few countries in the West and few places like India have performed such a procedure before. In Dubai, it was the first time such a procedure was performed,” added Dr Al Sibai.
Very few countries in the West and few places like India have performed such a procedure before.” Dr Ayman Al Sibai, interventional radiologist, Rashid Hospital