In a medical emergency, time is of the essence, especially when it comes to your heart. A new software called LifeNet is being implemented at Cooper University Hospital to shorten the length of time between identifying a heart attack and providing potentially life-saving treatment.
The LifeNet Management System, from Physio-Control, electronically connects EMS personnel on the scene of a heart attack with Cooper’s emergency department. The emergency medicine specialist transmits a 12-lead EKG via wireless modem to emergency personnel and cardiologists at the hospital, who can then confirm the diagnosis of a heart attack prior to the patient’s arrival. This transmission of critical data allows doctors to bring patients quickly into the catheterization lab or operating room.
“LifeNet provides unprecedented diagnostic access while the patient is still in the field,” said Janah Aji, MD, Director, Cooper Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. “This access allows us to quickly determine if a heart attack is occurring, and prepare the proper treatment plan while the patient is still in transit to Cooper.”
The American Heart Association guidelines recommend treatment of a heart attack in 90 minutes or less to improve the outcome of the patient. The “door-to-balloon” time is the time period between arriving in an emergency room to the moment a balloon catheter surgery is performed to open the patient’s arteries. With LifeNet, the “door-to-balloon” time can be reduced significantly.
“It is extremely time saving because all medical personnel are working closely together with one another,” said Rick Hong, MD, Emergency Physician and Head, Division of Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Medicine. “Once we receive the transmission from the paramedics unit, we can then collaborate with the interventional cardiologist and, if medically indicated, prepare for the patient’s arrival to the Emergency Department and immediately transfer them to the Catheterization Laboratory for diagnosis and treatment.”
Heart attack patients that come to Cooper have 24/7 access to Cooper’s Catheterization Laboratory and Heart Surgery, which differentiates Cooper from community hospitals in the Delaware Valley.
Cooper University Hospital’s Emergency Department and cardiologists provide patients the highest quality care with immediate access to the newest technology and medical advances. Whether treating a heart attack or full cardiac arrest, Cooper medical specialists are available 24 hours-a-day, 7 days a week — ready and waiting to treat the patient as soon as they come through the doors.