Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: Doctors at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, a designated chest pain center and integral part of Mubadala Health, are using World Heart Day on September 29 to urge residents to take any sign of chest pain seriously and seek proper medical care.
Designated as a chest pain center by the Department of Health Abu Dhabi, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has a specialized team on standby and ready to provide emergency care for heart attack patients 24 hours a day. This level of preparedness means that the hospital’s door to balloon time, or the amount of time that passes between a heart attack patient arriving at the hospital and the team removing the blockage and restoring blood flow to the heart, took an average of 53 minutes in 2020, almost 40 minutes faster than the American College of Cardiology target of 90 minutes.[1]
“When it comes to heart attacks, for every minute that goes by without medical treatment, the chances of a good outcome for the patient decrease. An hour’s delay is associated with an 8% increase in mortality. My message to the community is take chest pain seriously — don’t wait to see if it passes but get to a designated chest pain center as quickly as possible,” says Dr. Mahmoud Traina, an interventional cardiologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
The hospital’s heart attack response was tested recently when two severe heart attack patients arrived at the hospital within one minute of each other. Having received prior warning of the patients’ arrival, the hospital’s on-call team were able to respond and deliver lifesaving care despite the increased complexity presented by having two emergency cases at the same time. Caregivers from a range of disciplines came together to treat both patients simultaneously, achieving door to balloon times of 61 and 46 minutes, significantly faster than international standards.
“Research conducted at Cleveland Clinic shows that fast and effective care based on proven best practices can reduce in-hospital mortality. I am heartened to see what my colleagues in Abu Dhabi have achieved for their community. We share our findings and best practices. By working as one Cleveland Clinic, we are making great progress in making healthier hearts, together, everywhere.” says Lars Svensson, MD, PhD, Chairman of the Sydell and Arnold Miller Family Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic.
Recent data suggests that only 15% of severe heart attack cases arrive at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in an ambulance, significantly below the percentage in the United States. In Abu Dhabi, the vast majority of patients arrive at the emergency department after being driven by a friend or family member.
“Not all emergency departments have the same ability to provide rapid, high quality care in heart attack cases, particularly at night or over the weekend. This means that patients who don’t go to a designated chest pain center directly can experience unnecessary delays in their treatment. Calling an ambulance means paramedics can begin diagnostics and call ahead to let us know a heart attack case is coming. That means we’re ready to begin treatment as soon as they arrive, saving precious minutes for treatment,” concludes Dr. Traina
The most common symptoms of a heart attack include:
- Sudden, increasing chest pain and angina.*
- Pain spreading from the jaw, throat, arm, back or upper stomach.
- Profuse sweating or cold sweats.
- Nausea/vomiting.
- Dizziness.
- Shortness of breath.
- Feelings of indigestion/heartburn.
- Rapid or irregular heartbeats.
- Extreme fatigue/weakness.
- Heavy, “elephant-sitting-on-your-chest” feeling.
*Heart attack symptoms can vary by gender with many women not experiencing chest pain at all — only neck, jaw or back pain, among other symptoms.
About Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, an integral part of Mubadala Health, is a multispecialty hospital on Al Maryah Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is a unique and unparalleled extension of US-based Cleveland Clinic’s model of care, specifically designed to address a range of complex and critical care requirements unique to the Abu Dhabi population.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi has the following Institutes: Heart & Vascular, Neurological, Digestive Disease, Eye, Respiratory, Critical Care, Surgical Subspecialties, Medical Subspecialties, Emergency Medicine, Anesthesiology, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Imaging, Quality & Patient Safety, and Clinical & Nursing. In all, more than 40 medical and surgical specialties are represented at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
The facilities at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi combine state-of-the-art amenities and world-class service standards. The hospital is a 394 (expandable to 490) bed facility, with five clinical floors, three diagnostic and treatment levels, and 13 floors of critical and acute inpatient units. It is a physician-led medical facility served by North American/European Board Certified (or equivalent) physicians. Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi provides patients in the region direct access to the world’s best healthcare providers and Cleveland Clinic’s unique model of care, reducing their need to travel abroad for treatment.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi – Al Ain began offering select medical services in December 2017. The facility is located on the Tawam Hospital Campus in Al Ain.
About Mubadala Health:
Mubadala Health is the integrated healthcare network of Mubadala Investment Company. Established in 2021, Mubadala Health operates, manages, and develops a portfolio of healthcare assets including: Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Healthpoint, Imperial College London Diabetes Centre (ICLDC), Amana Healthcare, National Reference Laboratory (NRL), Capital Health Screening Centre (CHSC), Abu Dhabi Telemedicine Centre (ADTC), Danat Al Emarat, HealthPlus Diabetes & Endocrinology Center, HealthPlus Family Clinics, HealthPlus Fertility, HealthPlus Women’s Health Center, Moorfields Eye Hospital Abu Dhabi, and a stake in Al Meswak Dental Clinics Group. With a vision to transform the regional healthcare landscape, Mubadala Health sets a new benchmark for the UAE and regional healthcare industry through its state-of-the-art facilities and world-class caregivers who strive to put patients first across its continuum of care. Innovation, research, and education are the foundational pillars of Mubadala Health, supporting the further development of a sustainable healthcare sector in line with the vision of Abu Dhabi and the region.
