HEART
SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH Norm McElwain knows what it feels like to have a heart attack. At 81, the Marion man has had four previous heart encounters. “I felt like this one was the big one,” shared McElwain. “I was totally convinced any delay on my part and I would be dead. It turned out to be very accurate.” Last May, McElwain felt intense pain in his chest. He said it was different than what he had previously felt when he had heart issues. He and his wife Carolyn rushed to St. Luke’s ER. He doesn’t remember anything after he walked into the hospital. “He was in triage when somebody called for help and he just died at the check-in,” recalled Nathan Harmon, MD, UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Emergency Department. “There were three or four of us in the ER that ran to triage and started CPR immediately. We knew what to do and our team worked efficiently to save his life.” “As Nate was performing CPR, Norm was moved to one of our trauma rooms in the ER,” shared Ryan Dowden, MD, St. Luke’s Emergency Department. “We had to deliver two electrical shocks to restart his heart and get it into a normal rhythm. We also gave several lifesaving medications. Our team of experienced emergency nurses and doctors worked efficiently to bring him back to life.” McElwain was transported to St. Luke’s heart catherization lab as soon as he was stable.
Norm McElwain walking the track during cardiac rehabilitation at St. Luke's Heart Center.
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