Indian expat in UAE suffers stomach pain which turned out to be heart attack

Abu Dhabi: Not all stomach aches are due to gas. Some could be harbingers of underlying conditions including a heart attack, it was revealed on World Heart Day, observed on September 29.

When 53-year-old Ahmed Sathar (name changed on request), who works as a driver, walked into the Emergency Department at Burjeel Medical City (BMC) in Abu Dhabi, he thought his stomach discomfort was due to gas pain.

An otherwise healthy individual, what the Indian expat from Kerala did not know was that it was the onset of a heart attack that could have ended his life within minutes if treatment was delayed.

However, the experienced medical team immediately spotted the red flag and urgently proceeded with the necessary steps, averting a life-threatening situation.

Nursing team’s instinct saves life

Sathar had been sweating heavily as he checked in. While he brushed it off as ‘normal,’ the experienced eyes of the nursing team saw something alarming.

Mary Jernie Alba, Charge Nurse, along with Nitty Nicholas and Sehida Rahjuna Padikkal, Senior Registered Nurses, quickly recognised the symptoms.

Within minutes, they activated the chest pain pathway and rushed him for an ECG. “We see similar cases several times each year. Patients who come in thinking they have a stomach issue, only for tests to reveal a serious cardiac event,” said Dr Malcolm Borg, Consultant and Group Head – Emergency Medicine.

The results revealed that Sathar was experiencing a severe heart attack. Before he could process what was happening, his condition worsened and he collapsed. A 'Code Blue’ was called, and the ER team sprang into action. “They secured his airway, started life support, and worked in perfect coordination. In under five minutes, he was stabilized and ready for the Cath Lab,” recalled the doctor.

According to him, heart attacks don’t always show up as crushing chest pain.
“Sometimes they appear as stomach discomfort, especially in the upper abdomen. It’s actually not rare for heart attacks to show up as stomach pain or ‘gas.’ What is rare is catching it quickly. As our Emergency Department team was alert to these subtleties, they quickly ran an ECG, which revealed a major heart attack. That fast recognition saved his life,” he explained.

Race against time

In life-or-death situations like these, the golden window of ‘five minutes’ plays a crucial role. Thanks to the quick instincts of the nurses and the teamwork of the emergency staff, the patient survived the heart attack, sat up, and recovered in record time.

Dr Malcolm said the patient suffered from ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a major heart attack caused by a blocked coronary artery. The blockage cut off blood flow to part of the heart.

Without immediate treatment, it would have been fatal, Dr Malcolm observed. Because of rapid ECG testing, resuscitation, and transfer to the Cath Lab, the artery was reopened, and the patient made a quick recovery.

Just two days later, Sathar walked out of the hospital, a remarkable turnaround for someone who had stood on the brink of cardiac arrest.

“Walking home after only two days shows the power of rapid response and world-class care,” said Dr Borg, adding that the presence of the American Heart Association-accredited Comprehensive Chest Pain Centre at BMC ensured that the patient received quality care without any delay.

Today, the patient is back with his family, carrying a story that highlights a vital truth: heart attacks don’t always look like chest pain or pain radiating to the jaw and back only. They can manifest as stomach discomfort or heartburn. And often, they come quietly, without warning.

Don't ignore symptoms

Sathar had often experienced sweating while walking into work, but he didn not give it much thought as he did not have cough, fever, or shortness of breath.

The only clear warning sign was his recurring stomach and chest discomfort. “Many people might ignore this. He said that this discomfort had happened before, but on that day, it returned more strongly and radiated into his chest,” the doctor explained.

Within minutes of arriving at the hospital, he collapsed and went into cardiac arrest. It shows how a “simple stomach pain” can escalate into a life-threatening emergency.

Hence, Dr Borg cautioned: “That’s why awareness is so important. Sometimes the ‘small’ symptoms are the most dangerous. Don’t ignore them. If you feel sudden chest, stomach, or breathing discomfort, visit the ER immediately. Because, every minute matters.”