‘Every Minute Counts’ As Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi Beats Heart Attack Treatment Guideline By 40 Minutes

Doctors Urge Residents To ‘Take Chest Pain Seriously’

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.

“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.

Residents can find a range of practical information about cardiovascular disease, risk factors, treatment options and tips to lead a healthy lifestyle at hearthealth.clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae.

For more information or to request an appointment at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, call 800 8 CCAD (2223), visit www.clevelandclinicabudhabi.ae or download the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi app​.