A Special Message from Fire Chief John Eisel Technological Advancements Making a Difference During the Critical First Hour of a Cardiac Event

I wanted to take this chance to share one of the many advancements in emergency service delivery that we are using to improve care for our patients in the Emergency Medical System.

One of these advances provides the opportunity for improved cardiac care, which can produce better patient outcomes from cardiac events.

A heart attack is triggered when one of the coronary arteries becomes blocked. When the artery is blocked and the blood cannot flow adequately, symptoms begin to show and can be visible on the patient’s electrocardiogram (EKG). What happens to muscle that is denied blood flow, which is needed to supply the muscle with oxygen? The muscle tissue begins to die, damaging the heart.

Treatment begins with an immediate call to 9-1-1 and early access to emergency medical services (EMS). A trained, professional dispatcher asks a series of questions and provides instruction (location, what the problem is, patient history and any pre-arrival instructions). While that is going on, another dispatcher alerts the closest crew and directs it to the patient’s location.

Upon arrival, the crews evaluate the patient, and if the illness is cardiac-related, they view the patient’s EKG with a state-of-the-art heart monitor/defibrillator. The EKG is then transmitted to the receiving hospital via a Bluetooth connection from the medic vehicle, which carries a device that provides a secure “hot spot” to facilitate the transmission. The paramedics then transport the patient in a timely fashion using the Opticom traffic management system, while treating the symptoms and monitoring the patient’s condition.

Once the EKG has been received, the emergency room physician reviews the EKG and passes it along to the on-duty cardiologist. If the EKG indicates the patient is having a serious heart condition, or STEMI (ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction), provisions are made to have the cardiac catheterization lab staff waiting for the arrival of the patient, and the medic crew is instructed to bypass the emergency room and deliver the patient directly to the cardiac catheterization lab, where invasive procedures are performed to remove or reduce the blockage of the coronary artery that caused the heart attack.

So, what does all this mean? Very simply stated:

Time is muscle.

Time is of the essence, and the blockage must be removed or reduced to re-establish the blood flow to the heart muscle affected. When these improvements are implemented, the time from the paramedics’ arrival and the patient’s delivery to the cardiac catheterization lab is greatly reduced, thanks to technological advancements and cooperation between the paramedics and the receiving hospital.

Faster access to advanced emergency cardiac care saves lives and improves the quality of life for those affected. The American Heart Association recommends the patient be in the cardiac catheterization lab undergoing invasive procedure within 120 minutes of arrival to the ER. Hospitals in the central Ohio area average a time of 55 to 60 minutes in accomplishing this benchmark.

All of our career emergency response personnel are trained to the paramedic level and are required to renew their Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certifications every two years. Our response vehicles are equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, medications and protocols to help your worst day become better.

We are “Your friends for Life.”

Know the Symptoms

When a person is experiencing a heart attack, the signs and symptoms may include:

• Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more then a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

• Other upper body discomfort: May include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, the neck, the jaw, or the stomach.

• Shortness of breath: With or without chest discomfort.

• Other signs: May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

faces By Olivia Ohlin