Time is Muscle: Quick-thinking staff save visitor’s life
While visiting his new great-grandchild on the Mother/Baby unit, Mr. Y began having chest pain. He has a history of myocardial infarctions and thinking he was just having angina, took nitroglycerine. But then he started feeling faint and sweaty.
Jessica Cotti, RN, Kendall Kelly, RN and Kris Gibson, RN recognized the early signs of a heart attack. Jeannette Hartje, RN, June Brouse, RN, Jessica Lewis, RN, rushed in to help, lowered Mr. Y to the floor, applied defibrillator pads, and called the Rapid Response/Code Blue team. The team arrived, immediately taking him to the Emergency Department.
Within 2 minutes, an EKG was obtained, showing ST elevation, inferior leads, with reciprocal changes. The ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) team was activated and Mr. Y was transported to the Cath Lab for balloon angioplasty. Total time from ED door to balloon – 55 minutes.
Thanks to the quick actions of the M/B nurses, Rapid Response and Code Blue teams, Spiritual Care, Emergency Department, Cath Lab, and Critical Care, Mr. Y’s life was saved and he will be able to enjoy his new great-grandchild.
As an Accredited Chest Pain Center, AAMC is called to educate our internal and external community about the importance of Early Heart Attack Care. Mr. Y’s success story is a great opportunity to share life saving information for you, your loved ones and your community.
Did you know that 85% of muscle damage takes place within the first hour? This is often referred to as the “Golden Hour.” Early action is of the utmost importance, thus the term, “Time is Muscle.” This is truly an emergency. The best way to stop the heart attack process is to detect the symptoms early, before damage occurs. When considering whether or not to go to the hospital with chest discomfort or chest pain, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Heart muscle must be saved and time is of the essence.
A HealthStream Module is available for more education on Early Heart Attack Care. Search for it under “CATALOG.” Please take the test and become a Heart Attack Deputy. Questions? Contact me at tschiller@aahs.org. -Toni Schiller, RN, Cardiac Program Coordinator
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