Technology helps HMC staff save woman’s life

Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) highly skilled clinical teams deployed revolutionary new technology that uses a machine to take over the work of lungs and heart to save life of a young woman involved in a serious car accident.HMC is one of the few healthcare systems in the Middle East to use the ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) which was utilised to save the life of Majida Seddiq. Seddiq was struck by a car whilst crossing the Corniche late at night, suffering multiple trauma injuries, including a severe brain injury and multiple fractures. After being treated in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit, she developed respiratory failure with a lung infection and a brain haemorrhage leaving her in a critical condition.The machine element of ECMO, acting as the lungs or heart, ensures the body gets enough oxygen by circulating the blood outside the body while the patient is undergoing treatment or recovering from serious injuries. The ECMO system is currently only available in a few centres around the world and requires a fully integrated and dedicated team of highly trained clinicians to carry out high risk procedures with care delivered by clinicians 24 hours a day, seven days a week.Dr Ibrahim Mohamed Fawzy Hassan, director, HMC Critical Care Centre and clinical lead for ECMO, said its use was only possible due to the collaborative approach to care between various departments within HMC and the support from HMC’s partners, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS in the UK.“This gave us the time to call in the ECMO team to prepare for the patient,” he said, adding: “It is very unusual to use ECMO on a trauma patient but the team’s high level training allowed us to recognise that it would be invaluable in helping us save Seddiq’s life. This teamwork and our ability to put the latest technology into practice was instrumental in saving her life and has been recognised by the Joint Commission International (JCI) as part of its assessment of HMC’s clinical standards and delivery of patient care.”Dr Ibrahim said Seddiq was in a critical condition having suffered life threatening injuries and when the ECMO team arrived at Hamad General Hospital, she was close to cardiac arrest.“She was placed on ECMO to support her recovery and after a further three weeks of intensive therapy, I’m delighted to say that Seddiq was fully awake and beginning rehabilitation,” said Dr Ibrahim. After spending three months in rehabilitation, Seddiq is now fully recovered and enjoying life at home with her family.