ABU DHABI // A new method of screening babies for heart disease is helping save lives.
Pulse oximetry uses a light probe to measure oxygen levels in the heart's red blood cells during the first 24 hours of a baby's life.
The Health Authority-Abu Dhabi (Haad) introduced it at Al Ain's Tawam Hospital in January last year as part of a new screening programme for newborns, and one per cent of the 4,473 babies screened in 2011 were found to have congenital heart disease (CHD).
A further 0.3-0.5 per cent were found to have critical congenital heart disease (CCHD), which requires urgent treatment and is the main target of the programme.
The children were the first in the country to undergo pulse oximetry.
Follow-up examinations confirmed 10 cases of CCHD, while three false positives were also discovered.
All but two of the babies who tested positive survived.
Dr Mohamed Hamdan, the head of paediatric cardiology at Tawam Hospital, said pulse oximetry provides a more accurate reading of oxygen levels, reducing the number of misdiagnosed cases of CCHD.
"The equipment has become much more sensitive, so the chances of a false positive or false negative result are much less."
In comparison, between 2008 and 2010, Tawam Hospital detected potentially fatal heart problems in three to five babies a year, Dr Hamdan said.
"Death would have been expected to be between 15 and 30 per cent before cardiac surgery, and additional 10 to 20 per cent after surgery. The total survival rate would have been 60 to 70 per cent."
That survival rate does not factor in the babies who died after CCHD was not diagnosed at birth.
In most cases, early detection is vital. Late diagnoses can result in death or severe neurological impairment.
With pulse oximetry able to diagnose cases at a higher rate than other methods, such as foetal echocardiography, which can miss up to half of cases, the latest results from Tawam indicate the direction the country's other birthing hospitals might soon follow.
Al Rahba Hospital in the north of Abu Dhabi emirate adopted pulse oximetry in February, but no incidents of CCHD have yet been detected.
Corniche Hospital in the capital has also adopted pulse oximetry.
zalhassani@thenational.ae
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SPECS
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The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
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Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
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Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.
The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.
The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.
Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.
The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.
Dubai works towards better air quality by 2021
Dubai is on a mission to record good air quality for 90 per cent of the year – up from 86 per cent annually today – by 2021.
The municipality plans to have seven mobile air-monitoring stations by 2020 to capture more accurate data in hourly and daily trends of pollution.
These will be on the Palm Jumeirah, Al Qusais, Muhaisnah, Rashidiyah, Al Wasl, Al Quoz and Dubai Investment Park.
“It will allow real-time responding for emergency cases,” said Khaldoon Al Daraji, first environment safety officer at the municipality.
“We’re in a good position except for the cases that are out of our hands, such as sandstorms.
“Sandstorms are our main concern because the UAE is just a receiver.
“The hotspots are Iran, Saudi Arabia and southern Iraq, but we’re working hard with the region to reduce the cycle of sandstorm generation.”
Mr Al Daraji said monitoring as it stood covered 47 per cent of Dubai.
There are 12 fixed stations in the emirate, but Dubai also receives information from monitors belonging to other entities.
“There are 25 stations in total,” Mr Al Daraji said.
“We added new technology and equipment used for the first time for the detection of heavy metals.
“A hundred parameters can be detected but we want to expand it to make sure that the data captured can allow a baseline study in some areas to ensure they are well positioned.”
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MATCH INFO
Karnatake Tuskers 114-1 (10 ovs)
Charles 57, Amla 47
Bangla Tigers 117-5 (8.5 ovs)
Fletcher 40, Moores 28 no, Lamichhane 2-9
Bangla Tiger win by five wickets
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Destroyer
Director: Karyn Kusama
Cast: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Sebastian Stan
Rating: 3/5
UAE release: January 31
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Company%20Profile
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MATCH INFO
Liverpool 2 (Van Dijk 18', 24')
Brighton 1 (Dunk 79')
Red card: Alisson (Liverpool)