Lourdes Launches New System to Help Improve Outcomes for Heart Attack Patients
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
LIFENET Utilizes Emergent Patient Data to Reduce Patient D2B Time
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center has launched a new system that alerts its emergency department and Cath Lab staff to the impending arrival of heart attack patients--saving precious time. The LIFENET System from Physio-Control, Inc. is the first web-based data network to offer emergency medical services (EMS) and hospital team tools that work together to help improve clinical and operational efficiencies.
The LIFENET System connects field and hospital-based care teams to critical data needed for decision making. Using the system, paramedics are able to acquire an ECG in the field that gets transmitted to the hospital while the ambulance is en route. This allows hospital teams to prepare for the patient in advance and to activate the Cath lab if needed as well as pre-admit a patient ahead of their arrival, saving valuable time.
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, recently recognized by HealthGrades as among America's 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care, hopes to further reduce the time to treatment, known as door-to-balloon time (D2B), through effective use of the LIFENET System for patients who experience a dangerous type of heart attack known as STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction).
"This system allows us to treat heart attack patients better, faster and more efficiently by cutting out several steps of the process. With this new technology the hospital team has a head start on the patient and ambulance, shaving off valuable minutes. Time is muscle. Every minute counts," said Audrey H. Sernyak, M.D., F.A.C.C., a member of Lourdes Cardiology Services and the lead physician for the launch of the system at Lourdes.
The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that close to 400,000 people in the U.S. experience STEMI every year. The 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care emphasize the importance of a well-organized approach to STEMI care. With shorter D2B time -- typically 90 minutes or less -- patients experience significantly better outcomes and shorter hospital stays. Since timing is critical for STEMI patients, the LIFENET System betters the patient's chance for a successful outcome by starting the care process sooner.
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center has launched a new system that alerts its emergency department and Cath Lab staff to the impending arrival of heart attack patients--saving precious time. The LIFENET System from Physio-Control, Inc. is the first web-based data network to offer emergency medical services (EMS) and hospital team tools that work together to help improve clinical and operational efficiencies.
The LIFENET System connects field and hospital-based care teams to critical data needed for decision making. Using the system, paramedics are able to acquire an ECG in the field that gets transmitted to the hospital while the ambulance is en route. This allows hospital teams to prepare for the patient in advance and to activate the Cath lab if needed as well as pre-admit a patient ahead of their arrival, saving valuable time.
Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center, recently recognized by HealthGrades as among America's 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care, hopes to further reduce the time to treatment, known as door-to-balloon time (D2B), through effective use of the LIFENET System for patients who experience a dangerous type of heart attack known as STEMI (ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction).
"This system allows us to treat heart attack patients better, faster and more efficiently by cutting out several steps of the process. With this new technology the hospital team has a head start on the patient and ambulance, shaving off valuable minutes. Time is muscle. Every minute counts," said Audrey H. Sernyak, M.D., F.A.C.C., a member of Lourdes Cardiology Services and the lead physician for the launch of the system at Lourdes.
The American Heart Association (AHA) estimates that close to 400,000 people in the U.S. experience STEMI every year. The 2010 AHA Guidelines for CPR and Emergency Cardiovascular Care emphasize the importance of a well-organized approach to STEMI care. With shorter D2B time -- typically 90 minutes or less -- patients experience significantly better outcomes and shorter hospital stays. Since timing is critical for STEMI patients, the LIFENET System betters the patient's chance for a successful outcome by starting the care process sooner.
