SEHA’s Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Medical City (STMC) has successfully treated a critically injured trauma patient following a motorcycle accident, with rapid coordination between emergency, intensive care, cardiac surgery and anaesthesia teams helping manage multiple life-threatening complications.
The patient arrived with severe chest trauma and a pelvic fracture before suffering a cardiac arrest caused by tension pneumothorax. The Emergency Department team immediately began resuscitation, while a thoracic consultant inserted a chest tube, restoring spontaneous circulation.
Dr. Ali Al Alshamsi, Head of Cardiovascular Department at SEHA’s Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Medical City, said: “This case reflects the decisive role of rapid clinical assessment, early escalation, and seamless coordination in managing life-threatening trauma. From the moment the patient arrived at the Emergency Department, teams across emergency medicine, cardiothoracic surgery, anaesthesia, intensive care, and cardiac care worked together with speed and precision. Their readiness, professionalism, and unified focus were critical to controlling the cardiac injury and saving the patient’s life.”
The patient was then taken urgently to the operating theatre, where doctors controlled a massive haemothorax before transferring the patient to intensive care. Hours later, the condition deteriorated with severe shock requiring multiple medications to support blood pressure and circulation.
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A reassessment in the Cardiac ICU identified cardiac tamponade causing obstructive shock, prompting an immediate multidisciplinary response. Cardiac surgery and anaesthesia teams were mobilised while emergency measures were prepared in case the patient suffered another cardiac arrest.
Dr. Tamer Montaser, Cardiac Intensive Care and ECMO Consultant Lead at SEHA’s Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Mohammed Medical City, said: “This case reflects the importance of early recognition, timely escalation and seamless teamwork in the management of critical trauma. Most importantly, it demonstrates our unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality care, even in the most complex and life-threatening situations. Stories like this reaffirm our mission and highlight the expertise, dedication and coordination that define our teams.”
The ICU room was rapidly converted into a procedural area, where clinicians performed a small chest incision to remove the blood clot compressing the heart. The intervention quickly relieved the obstruction and significantly improved the patient’s haemodynamic condition.
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The patient was extubated the following day and continued to improve, eventually leaving the ICU for rehabilitation and physiotherapy related to the pelvic fracture. The case highlights STMC’s focus on rapid clinical assessment, early escalation and coordinated multidisciplinary care for complex trauma emergencies.
