XI’AN, China (Kashmir English): A remarkable case of medical history has been reported from a hospital in China, where a man survived even after his heart remained stopped for more than 40 hours.
Despite the prolonged cardiac arrest, modern medical treatment enabled the heart to restart, saving the life of a 40-year-old man.
According to media reports, the incident took place at Xi’an Hospital, where a doctor shared details of the case on social media.
The patient was taken to the facility initially with chest pain and difficulty in breathing, after which both his heart and respiration ceased.
Heart inflammation
Doctors diagnosed the patient with fulminant myocarditis, a severe inflammation of the heart, which was likely triggered by a viral infection.
Medical staff attempted to revive the heart around 10 times using electrical shocks (defibrillation), but there was no success.
The patient was then placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a life-support machine that performs the function of the heart and lungs artificially.
According to doctors, the man’s heart remained almost completely inactive for more than 40 hours, yet he survived under ECMO support and continuous medical care.
After approximately 40 hours, cardiac activity resumed, and heart function gradually recovered. The man remained on machine support for a further 10 days before being shifted to the cardiology ward.
Within 20 days, the patient regained full consciousness and was able to walk without assistance.
Following his recovery, the patient’s family presented a traditional silk banner to the administration of the hospital in gratitude.
