ECG diagnosis via Whatsapp saved many lives!
Author(s): City Air NewsLudhiana, April 7, 2016: Prompt ECG diagnosis can be life saving for patients presenting with heart disease in whom delay of every minute can be deleterious. Many a time’s physicians and practitioners serving in...
Ludhiana, April 7, 2016: Prompt ECG diagnosis can be life saving for patients presenting with heart disease in whom delay of every minute can be deleterious. Many a time’s physicians and practitioners serving in remote areas need a second opinion within a minute to ensure appropriate management of emergency.
Keeping this in mind Dr Bishav Mohan, Professor of Cardiology at Hero DMC Heart Institute contemplated and have now brought into practicality ‘The ECG Project’. The ECG project has beautifully combined the technology and expertise of cardiologists to bring at the door step of practicing physicians the ECG diagnosis within minutes. The physicians send the ECG of sick patients to group of the doctors via simple & readily accessible internet media Whatsapp, the cardiologists on call respond within minutes with ECG diagnosis and give suggestion as to how to help the patient.
This project has so far interpreted 1527 ECG’s in the region of Punjab in last year and has helped to save several young lives.
Case Studies:
1) A 35 years young patient presented with chest pain at a clinic at Moga district. He appeared to be suffering from heart disease. Treating doctor was in a fix to decide therapy and he sent the ECG to ECG Project team. Patient was diagnosed to have uncommon type of heart attack and was given treatment as advised which was life saving for this patient.
2) Moreover, a young breathless young boy was seen by a practitioner in a small town who thought him to be having a heart attack and sent the ECG to ECG Project team. The ECG revealed fast heart rate and right bundle branch block. After discussing the ECG with senior colleagues and Dr Anil Mehra in USA an urgent x-ray was planned, pneumothroax (air in cavity surrounding the lungs) was diagnosed within minutes and the physician was instructed to put in a chest tube which was saved the life of young boy.
The unique capability of this project to handle emergency rapidly has attracted several cardiologists and institutes to join hands with Hero DMC Heart Institute for further fulfillment of this project. Besides the team of Cardiologist at Hero DMC Heart Institute, AIIMS New Delhi (Dr Nitish Naik), IGMC Shimla (Dr Rajiv Bhardwaj), Fortis Escort Hospital, Amritsar (Dr. T S Kler from Delhi & Dr. Arun Chopra), Sri Guru Ram Das Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Amritsar (Dr Gaurav Mohan); there is collaboration and emerging interest of Dr Anil Mehra and his team from USA. Secretary of DMCH Managing Society-Sh Prem Kumar Gupta has said that this endeavour of providing expert cardiology opinion to fellow physician via the ECG project shall surely materialize and serve the ailing mankind not only in this region but also the country as a whole in times to come.
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