Exelon gift expedites heart attack treatment
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| Coal City Fire Protection District recently used new technology funded by Exelon Nuclear’s Dresden Generating Station to transmit a heart attack victim’s EKG results directly to Morris Hospital, which significantly expedited the patient’s treatment. Cardiologist Ari de la Hera, M.D. (from left), Coal City Fire Protection District EMTs Eddie Leasure, Mike Liacone, Brenda Cardenas and Brian Webster, and emergency medicine physician Mike Kryza, M.D., were all involved in the case and expressed their appreciation to Exelon Nuclear, represented by Dave Wozniak. (Photo courtesy of Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers) |
The wireless cardiac telemetry sending units that four area fire departments received earlier this year through funding from Exelon Nuclear’s Dresden Generating Station are already proving to be lifesaving.
The Coal City Fire Protection District recently used the technology to transmit a suspected heart attack victim’s EKG results directly to the Morris Hospital emergency department from the ambulance.
This alerted the Morris Hospital catherization lab team that a confirmed heart attack victim was on the way, and just 23 minutes after the patient arrived at the hospital, the blocked artery was opened using balloon angioplasty.
“This was the fastest door-to-balloon time I’ve ever experienced and well under the American College of Cardiology’s recommended door-to-balloon time of 90 minutes,” said Ari de la Hera, a board certified cardiologist on the medical staff at Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers.
Dave Wozniak, a site vice president for Exelon Nuclear, learned about the need for the cardiac telemetry sending units through his involvement as a Morris Hospital Foundation board member. Recognizing the critical importance of the technology, Exelon made a $3,500 gift to the Morris Hospital Foundation.
The foundation, in turn, provided wireless telemetry sending units for Coal City, as
well as Braidwood Fire Department, Channahon Fire Protection District and Wilmington Fire Protection District.
“Time is critical during a heart attack,” Dr. de la Hera said. “The sooner we can open the artery, the less heart muscle dies, and the longer the person lives. Anything we can do to shorten the amount of time it takes to open the blocked artery is significant. Having EKG results from the pre-hospital providers in the field saves precious time.”
While Coal City Fire Protection District and the other fire departments previously had the ability to perform 12-lead EKGs on suspected heart attack victims, they had no way to transmit the results to a hospital’s emergency room. The transmitting units funded by Exelon Nuclear changed all that, according to Coal City Fire Chief Harold Holsinger.
“Previously, we could only print out the EKG at the scene of the medical emergency and describe it to the emergency room physician over the phone. When the patient was delivered to the hospital, the physician would either review our EKG or do another one,” Holsinger said.
“Now that we have the ability to transmit the EKG results wirelessly, the emergency room physician can read our EKG while we’re still in the field, determine if the patient is having a heart attack, and activate the cardiac team while we’re transporting the patient to the hospital.”
According to Dr. de la Hera, Morris Hospital adheres to the American College of Cardiology’s evidence-based strategies for reducing door-to-balloon times. Using pre-hospital EKG results to activate the cath lab is an optional strategy, which places Morris Hospital a step ahead of national guidelines.
“Our goal is to be under the 90-minute recommended door-to-balloon time,” Dr. de la Hera said. “That’s how you save lives.”
