The Emergency Department at Imam Al-Hujjah Hospital received a case of an unconscious 40-year-old man with severe ventricular fibrillation that resulted in a decreased blood flow to the body and brain. The CPR team was summoned immediately. They performed endotracheal intubation, manual artificial respiration, and DC shock to restore the patient’s normal pulse rate.
Dr. Hussein Al-Haj, head of the Intensive Care Department, explains: “The patient came to the ICU and was put on a ventilation machine. He received conservative treatment, nutrition, and respiratory physiotherapy. The patient’s sleeping position was frequently changed to prevent bedsores.”
Al-Haj adds: “After three days under observation, the patient’s level of consciousness went from 4/15 to 14/15 on the Glasgow Coma Scale. The endotracheal tube was removed when he was able to breathe on his own. He was sent to the catheterization laboratory for an angioplasty. The procedure was successful and the patient got a second chance at life.”
The medical team who followed up on the man’s condition till full recovery consisted of Dr. Hussein Al-Haj (intensivist/anesthesiologist), Dr. Hussein Al-Chaabi (interventional cardiologist / Lebanon), Dr. Mustafa Abd Al-Sattar (ER specialist), and a number of well-experienced resident doctors.
