New Field Technology Will Save Lives
Seconds count for heart attack victims, specifically those experiencing ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI. In fact, STEMI patients need the availability of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI ), more commonly known as angioplasty.
“STEMI can result in severe damage to the heart muscle,” explained Vicki Rosser, EMS coordinator at SRHS. “We need to determine which hospital is the most appropriate hospital for these patients, and get them there as quickly as possible. It’s really what’s best for the patient.”
With new technology funded by the Samaritan Hospital Foundation, local Emergency Medical Services (EMS) can send diagnostic quality 12-lead ECGs to medical personnel at Samaritan Hospital’s Emergency Department so physicians can quickly identify STEMI patients, making timely arrangements for transfer if that is most appropriate.
“These 12-lead ECGs identify ST-segment elevation, which shows ongoing damage happening to the heart at the moment it occurs,” said Rosser. “These are the patients we can impact with the LIFENET STEMI Management Solution.”
About half a million Americans experience STEMI every year. According to Rosser, while first responders are focusing on the patient, physicians at Samaritan Hospital are able to determine a treatment plan, one that may send the patient directly to their choice of hospitals equipped to treat their condition. This may include MedCentral, Grant Medical Center, or other hospitals in Columbus or Akron that are capable of the appropriate interventions, such as stent placement or heart surgery.
“While Samaritan has skilled physicians and nurses who can stabilize the patient and a diagnostic cardiac catheterization lab, we are not licensed to perform stent placement for the patient having a STEMI,” Rosser explained.
Since Grant Medical Center also uses the web-based LIFENET STEMI Management Solution, emergency department physicians can send the 12-lead ECGs to cardiologists for a consultation. Also, if the patient’s condition changes in the field, EMS has the ability to send additional ECGs which might indicate a need to change treatment options.
“This is a win-win situation for patients,” Rosser said. “Everyone will be ready to manage the patient’s care, whether it’s the Emergency Department team preparing for stabilization, the helicopter transport team preparing for transport, or the receiving hospital and Cath Lab team preparing for treatment.”
In Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, the blocked artery is opened by inflating a small balloon and inserting a metal structure called a stent. The American Heart Association recommends STEMI patients receive PCI within 90 minutes or less upon arrival to a Cath Lab. Ideally, Rosser explained, the patient receives PCI within 120 minutes from the onset of symptoms.
“This will save lives,” Rosser said. “Ashland and Loudonville EMS are ready to go, and our goal is for all EMS county-wide to have this capability by the end of the year.”
Samaritan Hospital Foundation has pledged over $13,000 to purchase this system for a five year period. An additional $12,000, also donated by the Samaritan Hospital Foundation, has been earmarked to assist with the connection costs of the Lifenet STEMI system for each ambulance in Ashland County.
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