Cardiac data equipment saves vital minutes

Now in case of cardiac arrest, folks are advised to call 911 and not rely on a friend or neighbor if possible since transmissions can start from the ambulance....another hospital in Rhode Island last year added the same capabilities to their system as well...BD

St. Elizabeth Hospital has thrown a new lifeline to people having heart attacks in Northern Kentucky. It's a small data cable which paramedics can attach to their cellular phones to transmit EKG results directly from the ambulance to the emergency room at the hospital's south campus in Edgewood.
The hospital is buying the cables for every paramedic ambulance in Northern Kentucky, as well as the computer equipment to receive those transmissions and display the EKG results on a computer screen. The hospital spent more than $25,000 on the transmission cords for life squads and buy receiving equipment that puts the EKG directly onto a computer screen instead of a fax. What it really bought, though, was crucial time. With the new system, the results are popping up on a computer screen while the ambulance is rushing the patient th rough traffic. When the patient arrives at the hospital, care teams can be ready to treat immediately.
Three years ago, St. Elizabeth Medical Center's average was 117 minutes. The hospital put several time-saving changes in place and brought its door-to-balloon time down to 74 minutes. "That's before this latest equipment," said Boyer. "We anticipate this may shave another 30 minutes or more off the time."