Doctors in Al Ain saved the life of an 80-year-old Emirati woman who had a cotton bud stuck in her throat.
The 10cm long stick fell into the woman's trachea after her home-care assistant accidentally dropped it while cleaning her breathing tube. It moved to her right bronchus, the passage that carries air to the lungs.
The woman was taken to Burjeel Hospital in Al Ain after her oxygen levels started to drop.
“By the time she reached the hospital, her oxygen saturation levels had gone critically low,” said ENT surgeon Dr Ayman Helal, who immediately moved her to an operating room.
The woman had been bedridden for years and was using a breathing tube with the support of a continuous positive airway pressure machine.
“The endoscopy revealed the position of the cotton bud stick in the right bronchus,” said Dr Helal.
“The presence of the foreign substance had triggered bronchial secretions, which filled the space around the lungs. There was mild bleeding in the lungs as well. Meanwhile, the oxygen saturation levels fell steeply, to worsen her condition.”
Medics maintained the oxygen saturation levels and removed the foreign body and the breathing tube in a procedure that took four hours.
“We reinserted the tracheostomy tube and stabilised the patient. We ensured that the lungs were not infected and there was no bleeding. The patient was kept in observation for a day and discharged on the next day,” said Dr Helal.
“Her brain and other organs were not affected and after removing the cotton bud her condition became stable.”
The family thanked the medical team at the hospital for saving the woman's life.
“When we realised that a cotton bud stick had gone inside the trachea, we panicked and were clueless. Seeing her gasping, we rushed her to the hospital,” a family member said.
“Dr Ayman Helal and the medical team were very supportive. It was a tough moment for us but the medical team reassured us. We would like to thank Dr Ayman and his team for saving her life.”
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Founders: Ines Mena, Claudia Ribas, Simona Agolini, Nourhan Hassan and Therese Hundt
Date started: January 2017, app launched November 2017
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Private/Retail/Leisure
Number of Employees: 18 employees, including full-time and flexible workers
Funding stage and size: Seed round completed Q4 2019 - $1m raised
Funders: Oman Technology Fund, 500 Startups, Vision Ventures, Seedstars, Mindshift Capital, Delta Partners Ventures, with support from the OQAL Angel Investor Network and UAE Business Angels
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
