Paramedics deliver life saving treatment for heart attacks in the home
Hawks Nest resident Ian Morphett suffered a classic heart attack
at home and thanks to a clot busting drug and a partnership between the
Ambulance Service of NSW and Hunter New England Health, the only one
of its kind in the state, he is here today to tell his story.
Ian was watching TV with his wife when he developed crushing chest pain. His wife recognising the seriousness of the situation dialled Triple Zero (000) for ambulance within 10 minutes of the first onset of pain. Tea Gardens Paramedics assessed his condition, and commenced treatment. A 12 lead electrocardiograph (ECG) was taken and transmitted to a cardiologist who confirmed Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI, aka heart attack). Paramedics immediately began administrating thrombolytic medication into a vein in Ian’s arm to dissolve the blockage in his coronary artery and relieve his pain. Before he arrived at hospital, a further ECG in the ambulance showed that the blockage had dissolved and further tests in hospital confirmed minimal permanent heart damage.
Ian is one of more than 40 Hunter residents diagnosed with a heart attack as part of a Pre-hospital Thrombolytic project since July 2008 seeing paramedics working closely with cardiologists delivering clot busting drugs to patients suffering life threatening AMI signs and symptoms. Patients diagnosed with ECG changes that could respond to this drug treatment are given the drugs Tenecteplase and Enoxaparin by paramedics before the patient arrives at hospital saving precious minutes in the race to restore blood supply to the heart muscle.
Put simply, this treatment “brings advanced cardiac care to you” allowing a rapid diagnosis and initiation of treatment all before you reach the emergency department. A heart attack occurs when there is a complete blockage of an artery that supplies blood to an area of your heart. As a result, some of the heart muscle begins to die and without early medical treatment, this damage can be permanent. Without a healthy heart your body can not receive the oxygen and nourishment it needs to function.
Paramedics in fourteen communities from around the Hunter and Mid North Coast are equipped with the latest technology to acquire and transmit a patients’ electrocardiograph to the cardiologist, who then confirms the diagnosis. The cardiologist is able to communicate directly to attending paramedics who then administer the life saving medications.
Unfortunately 60% of patients suffering a heart attack don’t think to call an Ambulance and of those who do 20% of them wait over 4 hours before picking up the phone. With every minute, heart muscle is dying and lives are lost because patients are simply waiting too long before they dial Triple Zero (000). Patients have a short window to receive the clot busting drug after first onset of pain so timing is crucial.
There is also a common misconception that “heart attacks” happen to old people only. Over a quarter of the heart attack patients from this trial were under the age of 50, while two were only 37 years old.
What people should do?
- RECOGNISE THE SYMPTOMS: If you develop any kind of chest discomfort, pain, shortness of breath, nausea, dizziness or generally feel unwell, don’t wait. STOP what you are doing and try to relax, if you are with someone TELL them what is happening.
- RING CALL TRIPLE ZERO (000) immediately: Ask for Ambulance and answer the operators questions.
- RESPOND TO THE ADVICE FROM THE AMBULANCE OPERATOR: All information you give the operator can be relayed to the Paramedics so stay on the line and answer all the questions as accurately as you can.
Photograph: Tea Garden's Paramedic Ray O’Brien with Ian and Gail
Morphett
Ambulance is committed to assisting the community create safer and healthier environments and outcomes by making prevention everyone’s businesses. A number of innovative community education programs have been implemented to assist identify life threatening conditions, understand what to do in an emergency and the importance of adopting illness prevention strategies.