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