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May 26, 2010
Press Release
Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center (PBRMC) recently announced they have newly implemented the LIFENET System. This new solution has the goal of reducing door-to-balloon (D2B) times for patients who experience a dangerous form of heart attack known as STEMI (ST elevation myocardial infarction) by transmitting information from the ambulance directly to the hospital before the patient ever arrives. STEMI poses a serious threat to the heart muscle, and the quicker patients receive treatment the more likely they are to have a positive outcome.
“The LIFENET System will help us reduce door-to-balloon times for STEMI patients,” said Dr. Zeb, cardiologist at Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center. “Studies show that time from onset of symptoms to treatment, usually stent placement or angioplasty, is critical to improving survival and outcomes for these patients. Having this new system will continue to help us meet and beat the guideline of treatment in 90 minutes or less, as recommended by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.”
The LIFENET System allows EMT personnel to transmit a 12-lead ECG and other emergency information from the ambulance directly to the hospital. The appropriate emergency department and/or cardiac catheterization (cath) lab can prepare for the patient’s arrival while the patient is being transported by ambulance so D2B time is reduced and heart muscle can be saved. It also helps prevent wasted time in the emergency room.
The LIFENET System allows paramedics in the field and physicians and nurses in the hospital to focus on treatment decisions and patient care while the system works quietly and effortlessly in the background, both in the field and in the hospital’s emergency department or cath lab. The system uses the latest digital technology, which is fast and reliable. At this time, Stoddard County and Clearwater Ambulance Services are already using the LIFENET System to transmit to PBRMC, while other area services are in the process of implementing the system.
The American Heart Association estimates that nearly 400,000 people in the U.S. experience STEMI every year. Studies have reported a significant relationship between pre-hospital 12-lead ECGs and shorter D2B times, with two recent studies showing the effect was strongest when the cath lab was activated while the patient was still en route to the hospital. The Journal of the American College of Cardiology has reported that mortality for patients experiencing a heart attack has been shown to increase 40 percent if D2B time stretches from 90 minutes to 120 minutes. It is critical that STEMI patients are taken to facilities with the ability to perform angioplasty and insert stents, such as PBRMC. Fewer than 25 percent of hospitals nationwide can provide this treatment.
“This is an amazing technology! The critical aspect of this process is for patients to understand the importance of calling 911 if they experience any symptoms of a heart attack, no matter how mild or severe. The information ambulances now have the ability to transmit helps us be ready before the patient ever arrives, which saves time and lives,” said Jami Ham, Director of Cardiovascular Services at PBRMC.
The LIFENET System is helping communities elevate STEMI care to a whole new level with this new web-based solution that sets up community-wide STEMI-alert systems. The goal is to give care providers technology that saves D2B time, and ultimately more lives.
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