Document text
CLOUDY Temp: 61 °F Wind: WNW at 5 mph Monday, September 29, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine Joy Magazine Tempo A & E RogueValleyAutoFinder RogueValleyHomeFinder Real Estate Showcase Wellness Connection Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Employment Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 16, 2003 Mercy Flights paramedic Gary Heigel demonstrates one of the new Lifepak 12 monitors that allow emergency personnel to diagnose heart attacks before the patient reaches the hospital. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli New monitors for fast diagnosis Ambulances will be able to rush heart-attack victims directly to cardiac care By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune New heart monitors in Jackson County ambulances will help heart-attack victims get faster treatment. In the past, people who complained of "chest pains" were usually transported to the nearest hospital for a cardiac evaluation. Those who were actually having a heart attack were moved to Rogue Valley Medical Center for treatment. The new, portable Lifepak 12 monitors allow paramedics to diagnose many heart attacks while patients are still in the ambulance. People who are having a heart attack are now transported directly to RVMC, the regional cardiac care center. The new heart monitors, about the size of a piece of carry-on airplane luggage, include all the functions of earlier models. They can shock a fluttering heart back to its normal rhythm, or provide a pace for a heart that’s lost its cadence. But now they also can detect tiny variations in the electrical impulses that keep the heart pumping normally. Advertisement They also measure blood pressure and dissolved oxygen in the blood. "We were using multiple machines to do all that," said Gary Heigel, field operations supervisor for Mercy Flights, Jackson County’s largest ambulance service. "Now it’s all in one package." The new defibrillators have been installed in all Mercy Flights ambulances. The county’s two other ambulance providers, in Ashland and Rogue River, also have the machines, along with other agencies (such as the Medford Fire Department) that sometimes respond to emergencies. Josephine County ambulances also have the monitors. Fast action is critical in treating heart attacks, which are often caused by a blockage in the coronary arteries. The blockage deprives the heart muscle of oxygen — without oxygen the heart muscle begins to die. Cardiologists treat the blockage by inserting a tiny balloon to re-open the clogged artery and a fine-mesh tube that strengthens the blood vessel. The sooner they can begin the procedure, the less heart muscle dies. When a paramedic has a patient with a heart attack, a call to RVMC activates the cardiac care team. "It’s just like the trauma system," said Dr. Brian Gross, a Medford cardiologist. "We’re ready and waiting for them." The portable heart monitors cost about $18,000 each. Ken Parsons, Mercy Flights general manager, said the ambulance company decided to draw from its reserve funds to equip all its ambulances simultaneously because medical research showed patients who went directly to cardiac care had better results than those who stopped along the way. Normally, new equipment would be phased into the ambulance fleet over the span of several years, Parsons said. "The machines we had before saved people’s lives," he said. "These machines will help save heart muscle." Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times