By Zach Macormac
The Wheeling News Register
WHEELING, W.Va. — When emergency crews respond to a call concerning a heart problem, new equipment will help those crews ensure hospital specialists treat that person as quickly and accurately as possible.
Within the past several weeks, the Wheeling Fire Department purchased three used 12-lead heart monitors, known as Lifepace 12 by Physio-Control Inc., from the fire dispatch in Logan, W.Va., for $10,000 each. At the Wheeling City Council meeting Oct. 5, City Manager Robert Herron asked members to pass the ordinance as quickly as possible.
Fire Chief Larry Helms said the new monitors replace some three-lead heart monitors that are now obsolete.
“Logan had several monitors they wanted to sell, and three were immediately available,” Helms said. “We saw the opportunity and took it.”
Wheeling EMTs are, as of last week, fully trained to handle the new monitors and utilize them while on call.
According to Paramedic Capt. Mike Conners, the three-lead monitors only provided three “pictures” of the heart, looking only at three different typical problem areas. He said the new monitors provide a nearly complete diagnostic, including which stage of heart attack a patient is in, if it is something other than a heart attack and if the patient will need the catheterization lab ready to handle him or her.
“When we call in to the hospital, they can have the cath lab ready if necessary, skipping over the ER,” Conners said.
Additionally, Conners said the monitors will detect blood clots in their early stages, allowing the patient to be treated with an arterial opening soon after they arrive at the hospital. The monitors also can track the amount of carbon dioxide in each area of the heart. If one area is not receiving the proper amount, they can report it accordingly.
Another feature Wheeling EMTs had not previously experienced is the ability to have updated blood pressure readings, according to Conners. Every five minutes, the 12-lead monitor will take a new reading so specialists at the hospital can see trends in heart activity.
“It’s (the monitor) overdue and it’s great that we have it now,” said Assistant Fire Chief Tony Campbell.
Both Conners and Campbell look to the future of heart monitoring on city ambulances. In the not so distant future, Conners foresees the ability to use a 3G or 4G phone that can connect to the heart monitor and send the data directly to the hospital.
Campbell said he hopes to upgrade eventually to the Lifepack 15, which gives an even more detailed diagnostic picture.
Republished with permission from The Wheeling News-Register.