The medical team at Imam Al-Hujjah Hospital successfully saved the life of a woman in her 50s whose heart stopped suddenly. Dr. Hussein Al-Hajj, head of the ICU, stated that the patient suffers from chronic heart disease and hypertension. He added: First, we performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in accordance with the protocols of Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) procedures, then the patient was placed on a ventilator and we carried out all the necessary medical examinations and laboratory tests. Physicians and resident doctors provided the patient with the appropriate treatment and continued to follow up on her health condition around the clock.
Interventional cardiologists were consulted and the patient underwent cardiac catheterization to diagnose the condition of her coronary arteries. During the course of a week, the patient stayed in the ICU. The levels of oxygen, CO2, and minerals in her blood were stabilized. The patient regained consciousness and spontaneous breathing, therefore we disconnected her from the ventilator.
24 hours after being disconnected from the life support machine, she was sent to the inpatient ward, fully conscious and ready to resume treatment. Dr. Hashim Zayni (internist), Dr. Hussein Al-Hajj (intensivist/anesthesiologist), and a number of experienced resident doctors followed up on the case until the patient recovered.
