Santa Monica Fire Department beefs up cardiac response
By DAILY PRESS STAFF
The Santa Monica Fire Department is looking to mend a few broken hearts.
Residents suffering a possible heart attack will be able to receive an electrocardiogram, or EKG, as soon as paramedics arrive. Through the EKG, paramedics will be able to tell if the patient is having a certain type of heart attack, called a “STEMI,” of ST elevation myocardial infarction.
That type of heart attack can often be treated successfully using a procedure involving cardiac catheterization and placement of a stent to open up the arteries in the heart, said Jodi Nevandro, RN, the EMS educator for fire department.
“The reason there is so much focus on early detection for this type of heart attack is that if treated immediately, one can save the heart muscle where as in other attacks, part of the heart muscle dies,” Nevandro said.
Once paramedics identify a STEMI, they alert the hospital so staff there can begin preparing to treat the patient before they arrive. The patient is transported to a specially approved hospital called an SRC, for STEMI Receiving Center. The closest SRC for Santa Monica is the Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center.
The American Heart Association recommends performing an angioplasty immediately after a STEMI to open blocked blood vessels and restore blood to the heart. Nearly 400,000 patients each year in the United States suffer from STEMI, caused by the sudden, total blockage of an artery.
Paramedics began offering the “Cardiac Care Program” in March after purchasing six new state-of-the-art cardiac monitors for roughly $15,000 each. The monitors were paid for with funds from Measure B, a special parcel tax passed by voters in 2002 to help fund trauma and emergency services and bioterrorism preparedness efforts.
Residents are reminded to always call 911 if they are experiencing chest pain, chest discomfort, shortness of breath or other symptoms that might be related to a heart problem.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 25, 2007. Read the original PDF.