IN Norwin Spring 2014 | Page 35

Teaming Up to Save Lives
Dialing 911 is the critical first step in mobilizing the lifesaving STEMI program.

Collaboration with local emergency medical service (EMS)
providers is an “extremely critical” element of its STEMI alert
program, says Dr. Ergina. When the EMS team transmits
the EKG results directly to the Emergency Department (ED),
the catheterization lab team can be activated before the patient
arrives — saving up to 20 minutes, he says.
“It takes a coordinated effort by the entire team, including EMS,
nurses, technicians, and doctors, to get a patient into the lab
quickly so we can open that blocked artery as fast as possible,”
says Dr. Ergina.

Shaving minutes
“Calling 911 is the fastest way to get lifesaving emergency
treatment,” says Scott Dolan, an EMS specialist at UPMC
McKeesport who serves as a liaison with local providers. “It’s like
bringing a hospital ED to your door.”
How do you survive a heart attack? By acting fast and calling 911,
says Francis Ergina, MD, a cardiologist with the UPMC Heart and
Vascular Institute at UPMC McKeesport. “When you’re having a
heart attack, time is muscle. Quick intervention can save your life
and minimize damage,” says Dr. Ergina.

Minutes matter
Fast action is especially important for patients experiencing the
most deadly type of heart attack: a STEMI (ST-segment elevation
myocardial infarction), involving blocked blood supply to a large
area of the heart. The faster patients undergo a balloon angioplasty
to open blocked arteries, the better their chances of survival.
National guidelines call for hospitals to perform an angioplasty
within 90 minutes, starting from the moment a patient enters
the hospital until the balloon is inflated and blood flow restored.
Last year, UPMC McKeesport averaged an impressive “door-toballoon” time of just 67 minutes.

A team effort
“UPMC McKeesport’s team of cardiologists, nurses, and
technologists is on call 24/7 to treat emergency heart conditions.
They can mobilize quickly, arriving at the hospital’s state-of-the-art
cardiac catheterization lab within 30 minutes. There, doctors
diagnose and treat heart problems using specialized imaging
equipment to see the heart’s arteries and chambers.

In addition to relaying vital signs and EKG results to the hospital,
EMS providers can treat patients at the scene with oxygen,
heart medications (such as nitroglycerin), pain relief (such as
morphine), and defibrillators (to restart the heart if it stops beating).
For information about UPMC McKeesport or to find a physician,
visit UPMCMcKeesport.com, or call 1-800-533-UPMC (8762).

Knowing When to Call 911
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in men and
women. But many people don’t recognize the warning signs
of a heart attack, including:
• Chest pain or discomfort, including uncomfortable
pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck,
jaw, or stomach
• Shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat,
nausea, dizziness, and extreme weakness
Many people delay calling 911 because they doubt they
really are having a heart attack. Don’t put your life at risk.
Learn to recognized the symptoms and get the help
available to you at UPMC McKeesport.

This advertorial has been provided by UPMC. © 2014 UPMC