CO L L A B O R AT I O N & I N N O VAT I O N I N PAT I E N T C A R E
CLOSER TO THE HEART – EMPOWERING PARAMEDICS When it comes to matters of the heart, time is often of the essence. An ECG, or electrocardiogram, is a test used to quickly detect heart problems and monitor the heart’s health. Most often, one can expect to have this test applied within the hospital setting—in a care provider’s office, an operating room, or the Emergency Department (ED). But for patients suffering a cardiac emergency, Dr. Frank Halperin, a celebrated cardiologist at Kelowna General Hospital, had a better idea. What if the ECG technology was available in ambulances? So that when a patient or loved one calls 9-1-1, an ECG diagnostic could be performed while en route to the hospital, saving precious time in those instances when every moment matters. “When a patient is picked up in the community by an Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) crew, the paramedics are able to obtain and transmit an ECG from the ambulance to the ED, before hospital arrival,” explains Dr. Halperin. “The ED physician analyzes the readings and instructs the paramedics on the best
course of action, which may be to bypass the nearest hospital and go directly to KGH and its specialized, Cardiac Cath Lab.”
3,682 patients are cared for in the KGH Cardiac Cath Lab each year. (Apr. 2022 data) Dr. Halperin proposed that Primary Care Paramedics (PCP) be trained to use ECG transmission devices so that they too could transmit ECG readings to ED physicians. Once trained, PCP crews would require ECG transmission devices in all ambulances to be able to transmit to ED Physicians, which would result in expedited treatment and provide better outcomes for patients experiencing a heart attack or other cardiac event. Therefore, two critical funding components would be necessary to make this game-changing innovation possible. First, the purchase of the equipment: ECG transmission devices called LP15 monitors. And second, resourcing advanced training for primary care paramedics to administer the test.
Meet the Paramedics. Primary Care Paramedic: Licensed to administer more advanced patient care than EMR (Emergency Medical Responder). The majority of BC paramedics are PCPs, and they handle the majority of 911 calls. Advanced Care Paramedic: Specializes in the advanced care of medical and trauma patients with a focus on advanced cardiac resuscitation.
5
F O U N D AT I O N S | K G H F O U N D AT I O N | S U M M E R 2 0 2 2
