Predict, Protect and Prevent Disabling Cardiac Conditions say Experts
UAE: Imaging techniques in nuclear cardiology helps in early identification of and rapid decision for further management. Advanced treatment and early detection of hidden cardiac conditions can help patients survive and lead a normal life, said Prof. Ahmed Abdelaty, Professor of Cardiology and Head of Nuclear Cardiology Lab, Alexandria Faculty of Medicine, Egypt, who delivered keynote talk during the 5th Annual Conference on latest trends in cardiology from diagnosis to treatment.
The conference was organized by the department of cardiology Thumbay Hospitals and Gulf Medical University at Ajman Saray Hotel on 6th and 7th May 2016. Over 150 cardiologists, internal medicine specialists and other healthcare professionals participated in the conference which was accredited by Ministry of Health for 15 CME hrs.
Prof. Mohamed Arifulla, Dean Admissions and registers, Gulf medical University, presented mementos to all invited speakers and chairpersons. Dr Prashanth Hegde, Medical Director Thumbay Hospital Ajman and other members of management of Thumbay Hospitals were present on the occasion.
Highlights of talks:
Dr Mahmoud Farouk El-Mahdi, Interventional Cardiologist in Thumbay Hospital Ajman, took the audience on a journey through the history of the stents that are now widely used to open blocks inside the arteries that give blood supply to the heart. From the late eighties till today, the technology of stents designs had dramatically evolved, he added. The future directions of such ever-growing technology were also highlighted.
Dr Abdullah Al Hajiri, Consultant Cardiologist and Head of Cardiology Department, Fujairah Hospital gave facts and figures about the burden of Heart Failure (the weak heart) globally, regionally and in UAE. He elaborated well on how to predict, protect, and prevent such disabling conditions. Then he spoke in advance about device therapy which carries high hopes for this group of patients.
Dr Mahmoud Ghanaim, Consultant Cardiologist and Head of Emergency Department, Dubai Hospital took the audience on a journey on how to perceive and look into patients when they present with palpitations. He elaborated the common arrhythmias that may be sometimes life-threatening. His lecture was very interactive and was well-perceived and appreciated by the audience.
Dr Ahmed Kamaly, Consultant Pediatric Cardiologist, Dubai Hospital had simplified the role of cardiac catheterization and intervention in treating neonates and young children who were born with abnormalities in the structure of their hearts. From simple bedside procedures to more complex and advanced interventions, newborns and children can make it to growing up happily with their families and living normal lives.
Dr Abha Jain, Consultant Neonatologist and Chief of Department of Neonatology, Sheikh Khalifa General Hospital, had explained the different reasons that may lead to bluish discoloration (the so-called cyanosis) of the newborn. Although non-cardiac causes can cause cyanosis, yet by-birth abnormalities in the structures inside the hearts of newborns sometimes become challenging in diagnosis and treatment options. She emphasized on early screening and detection of such potentially treatable conditions.
Dr Abdullah Shehab, Professor of Cardiology, UAE University and President of the Emirates Cardiac Society spoke about common conditions related to abnormal heart rhythms, the so-called “cardiac arrhythmias”. These are quite common diseases that range from mild conditions to more serious ones, which may need expert evaluation and advanced treatment. He gave tips and tricks to the audience on how to recognize and treat such conditions in daily practice.
Dr Amrish Agrawal, Consultant Cardiologist, Fujairah Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine, RAK MHSU, revised during one of his lectures the link(s) between elevated blood pressure (hypertension) and the hearts getting weaker over time (heart failure). Although it is a complex link, however, there are ways to break these links. In his second lecture, which was purely dedicated to the heart failure topic, he highlighted the emerging new medications that target such condition by more than one mechanism of action.
Dr Galal Eldin Nagib-Elkilany Abdellatif, Consultant Cardiologist, Thumbay Hospital, Ajman, gave practical advises to practitioners in emergency rooms. As chest pain remains one of the commonest presentations to ER, more than one diagnostic tool will usually be required. He summarized the roles of different imaging modalities that can be utilized in the emergency situations to rapidly diagnose a patient at risk of life-threatening cardiac conditions.
Dr Ajay Kumar Kanojia, Director of Cardiac Services, RAK Hospital again targeted the same topic, evaluation of chest pain. He addressed the whole scenario from history taking till reaching the final diagnosis through practical algorithms derived from international guidelines.
Dr Mohamed A Fathi, Lecturer and Specialist in Cardiology, Thumbay Hospital Ajman, gave a dedicated lecture to relatively new imaging modalities that can identify patients at risk of heart attacks. The CT coronary angiography is increasingly used nowadays for such indications. In another lecture, he spoke about abnormal Cholesterol levels in children and younger generations and gave practical guidance on how to diagnose and treat such conditions.
Dr Mohamed Ayman Abdel Hay, Professor of Cardiology and Director of Adult Echocardiography Lab, Alexandria University, Egypt with his long expertise and research in the field of Echocardiography, gave two interactive lectures highlighting the importance and indications of the two-dimensional and three-dimensional echocardiography in assessing patients with valve diseases. His lectures were complemented by live examples of multiple studies in patients with valve diseases and those who had mechanical valves implanted. The lectures were practical, enjoyable and easy to understand as perceived by the audience.
Dr Ehab M Esheiba, Head of Cardiology Department, Thumbay Hospital Ajman, shared some data from a big global registry observing patients with an abnormal heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation. In his second lecture, he presented a real case presentation with guidance on the management of a chronic severe cardiac condition called CTEPH.
Dr Hatem Soliman, Specialist Intensivist in Al Mafraq Hospital, Abu Dhabi, gave two interesting lectures focusing again on echocardiography. The first lecture was about the utilization of echocardiography while assessing and treating patients with severe infections (sepsis) and the second was educational on echocardiography itself.
Professor Dr Ahmed Abdelaty, Professor of Cardiology and Head of Nuclear Cardiology Lab, Alexandria Faculty of Medicine, Egypt, had simplified in two lectures the rationale, advantages and applications of very specified cardiac imaging techniques (Nuclear studies). He focused on the utilization of these modalities particularly in patients with coronary artery diseases, those who had heart attacks, and those who may be at risk of developing heart attacks, aiming at early identification and rapid decision for further management.
Dr Tamer Taha Ismail Taha, Associate Professor and Specialist in Cardiology, Thumbay Hospital Dubai, with his experience in diseases related to abnormalities in cardiac rhythm disturbances, discussed the possibility of utilizing the 24-hours recording of the patient’s ECG to identify patients with possible coronary artery disease. There is always a room early detection of silent diseases before they actually manifest, he added.