THE LIFESAVING BASICS OF CRITICAL CARDIAC CARE

A headline-grabbing incident from the sports world earlier this year has driven home the importance of emergency cardiac response, something employees at Finley Hospital know all too well.

On January 2, professional football player Damar Hamlin of the Buffalo Bills went into cardiac arrest following a seemingly routine play in a nationally televised game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Bills medical personnel have been credited with saving Hamlin’s life after they provided on-site emergency care before he was transported to a hospital.

Members of Finley’s emergency department say that while the Hamlin case put a spotlight on critical cardiac care, they see situations like his every day.

“The Hamlin case put a national focus on what our staff does everyday,” says Jeff Baker, BSN, RN, who directs Finley Hospital’s emergency and cardiopulmonary departments. “Emergency doctors, nurses, and our partner first responders have to be ready at a moment’s notice for these situations.”

According to Londie Brauer, a Resource Educator at Finley who also instructs first aid training classes, two vital components of on-site cardiac response are chest compressions (commonly referred to as “hands-only CPR”) and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). According to the American Heart Association, patients who receive emergency CPR are nearly three times more likely to survive a cardiac arrest that happens outside of a hospital. Additionally, about three-quarters of patients treated with an AED will survive their cardiac arrest. While the Hamlin case put the importance of these life-saving techniques on a national stage, incidents requiring emergency heart care can happen anywhere…including in a hospital.

Back in December, Finley Hospital Radiologic Technologist Jim Patch was walking a cardiac patient to the elevator after an exam, when she showed signs of distress. Patch asked if the woman was OK, and when she said “No,” he helped her to the floor and began providing emergency care.

“She lost pulse…she lost respiration…” Patch recalls. “Then I yelled for someone to call a code and began CPR on her.”

Patch continued chest compressions until additional help arrived in the form of a “emergency response team” including Kara Klemme, RN.

“Things were very chaotic, but rightfully so for the situation,” Klemme says.

Klemme and the other members of the Emergency Response Team then applied the AED to the patient.

“We put the (AED) pads on. It was telling us to continue compressions, because at that time she didn’t have a rhythm that needed shocking. I continued compressions all the way from an elevator near the cafeteria all the way to the emergency room.”

Klemme could not be prouder of the response from her colleagues.

"We have a great crew here in the emergency department. Everyone showed up. We all wanted to save her life and did a great job. It was very lucky it happened here because she had the best crew on board. It was very lucky that way.” officers, a retired fire chief, a chief sheriff’s deputy. They were all right there so it worked out really well.”

While emergency care is not one of Patch’s everyday duties, he was thankful to have had the training and experience that allowed him to step up when the need arose.

Clogged arteries had caused Hirsch to go into cardiac arrest. Responders performed chest compressions on him, then shocked him with an AED before transferring him to Finley Hospital’s emergency room, which is where Hirsch regained consciousness.

Following his initial treatment at Finley, Hirsch was sent to another UnityPoint Health facility in the Quad Cities, where he spent three weeks in intensive care. After overcoming some complications, he returned to Dubuque, where he continued to recover utilizing Finley’s Cardiac Rehabilitation unit. Today, he says he has no lingering effects, but knows he was lucky to have received such immediate treatment.

“I’m just really fortunate that they were all handy right there” Hirsch says. “Now I watch what I eat, take the meds that I’m prescribed, and keep up with my exercise. That’s all been helping out really well.”

“You just know that you have to act,” he says. “I’ve done CPR before, but we have annual CPR classes that we go to, so we’re prepared to do it. Anybody can do it anywhere. The number of people who survive a heart attack is pretty low statistically, so increasing that education level for people outside of the medical profession is important.”

Klemme agrees.

“Even just being knowledgeable about an AED and starting compressions immediately can save someone’s life,” she says. “I’ve seen it so many times that a bystander starts CPR, and the outcome is significant. Starting chest compressions…calling for help…having the knowledge to grab an AED or calling for someone to get an AED…ultimately, you’re doing everything you can to save that person’s life.”

Dubuque resident Terry Hirsch was also fortunate to have trained professionals around when he needed heart care, though his situation happened outside the hospital’s walls. Hirsch had gone to Dalzell Field to see his niece graduate from Hempstead High School in May of last year when he suffered a cardiac episode. While Hirsch has no memory of the incident, he was informed later that he benefited from a significant on-site response.

“Everybody that needed to be there was right there,” he says. “There was a doctor and a nurse there. There were two police

Based on what happened to him, Hirsch now recommends that anyone – whether in the medical field or not – receives CPR and AED training.

“Oh by all means, do it. It would be worth it!”

To schedule a training session, contact Educator Londie Brauer, RN, at Finley Hospital by calling (563) 589-2611.