For thousands of Israelis living through the onslaught of missile attacks by terrorists from Gaza and Lebanon, safe rooms have saved countless lives. Who could have imagined that prolonged stays in such safe rooms could also threaten lives?
Such was the case of patient F. (name withheld), who arrived at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in critical condition after a helicopter flight from southern Israel. A 52-year-old resident of Sderot, a town close to the Gaza border, F. had spent many hours in a safe room sheltering from Hamas missiles. Though he had some difficulty breathing, he evacuated with his family to Eilat once it was safe to leave. There, his health did not improve, and he went to the hospital, where they discovered he was suffering from a pulmonary embolism.
After the flight to Hadassah, a team of doctors mobilized immediately to perform a catheterization on the critically ill patient and successfully dissolved the blood clot.
Prof. Eyal Herog, head of the cardiology department at Hadassah, noted, “The phenomenon is identical to that described in the medical literature regarding people who fly on long flights. Even in a safe room, it is important to get up and move around as much as possible.”
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