St. Luke's Joins State Heart Attack Rural Initiative
Posted on Aug 12, 2013
By St. Luke's, Duluth MN
St. Luke's has backed a state-wide initiative to help improve heart
attack treatment for patients in rural areas.
The American's Heart Association's (AHA) Mission: Lifeline - Rural
Minnesota Initiative tackles the issue of identifying rural patients suffering
from a STEMI, the deadliest type of heart attack in which blood flow is
completely blocked in an artery, by expanding the use of 12-lead ECG machines
among the emergency medical services.
St. Luke's and St. Luke's Foundation are pleased to announce they
have donated $2,500 to help the AHA extend the Mission: Lifeline program
across rural Minnesota.
"This early recognition of a life-threatening problem will allow for
rapid transport of the patient directly to St. Luke's or other hospitals
that can provide life-saving procedures such as stenting or even bypass
surgery," said Dr. Mary Boylan, St. Luke's cardiothoracic surgeon.
"I know that my patients' lives will be improved because of Mission:
Lifeline and I am glad that we at St. Luke's have been among the first
to support this lifesaving step."
A STEMI patient has a window of just 90-120 minutes to receive treatment
or the person is likely to have significant heart damage, go into full
cardiac arrest, or die. Rural areas face the greatest challenges in terms
of being able to meet these treatment windows, due to the large geographical
areas covered and lack of access to the 12-lead ECG equipment.
Placement of the 12-lead ECG machines in ambulances means medical personnel
can detect a STEMI in the field and ensure the patient is transported
immediately to the hospital best placed to provide the appropriate treatment.
The AHA has received gifts totaling more than $6.5 million for the Rural
Minnesota Initiative, with the lead program funder being the Leona M.
and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which has pledged $4.6 million.