Posted on Saturday, 1/03/2009 - 12:30 p.m. PST — by judge_84
I read this story this morning "Portable EKG device program expands in East Bay" and it got me thinking. Way back in the dark ages (1970's) there was a show called Emergency! and later renamed to Emergency One! I'm sure most of you remember the boys of Station 51 and Rampart General Hospital. For those that don't, Google it. Jack Webb, the shows creator/producer or whatever he was, made the show as realistic as possible. He paid close attention to detail. On the show paramedics were able to transmit ekg strips to the hospital for the ER doctors to see what was going on with the patients heart and could advise the paramedics what the next course of treatment should be. My question: Did it really take 30 plus years for this to become reallity in Contra Costa County? Is anybody else amazed we didn't have this technology yet? And do we really have it? It's still a "pilot program". All I can say is Wow!
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Is there a waiting list for one of these gizmos?
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That technology has been used by Paramedics for the last 32 years in Contra Costa County, they have always been able to transmit an EKG strip to the doctor at the ER to get permission to treat the chest pain, but that was just one single view of the heart (Lead II) which gives a very vague and limited view of what is happening with the heart and could only indicate 2 types of Myocardial Infarctions, what this article refers to is Paramedics are now able to do a full 12 Lead EKG showing 12 simultaneous views of the electrical activity in the heart and can diagnose, not only an acute myocardial infarction (MI), but it can also show ST Elevation to alert the Paramedics and ER of an Inferior wall MI as well as lots of other information such as the size of the heart (Enlarged Heart), Axis deviation and other information which can show congestive heart failure (CHF). This is a huge improvement from just Lead II and we can only hope that Sutter gets a 24 hr Cardiac team setup ASAP.
WB
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I appreciate the clarification. When I read it, it made me believe this was the first time they would be able to transmit an EKG period. I was beginning to wonder if the county EMS has been living in the dark ages.
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So we're good right? If we want to have a couple beefy cheesy melts, deep fried macaroni & cheese squares, 1/4 pounder with cheese, and an eggnog shake, they have the portable technology available to revive us if we temporarily lose consciousness?
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Yeah, we have clot buster drugs now that aggressively attack blood clots and open critical passage ways in the vessels surrounding the heart, so eat up. With the cath labs, highly trained EMS, Paramedics on Fire Engines and clot busting drugs, we are lucky to be alive in this day and age, sadly, most men are in denial when they experience chest pain and all too often wait to call 911 hoping it will just go away or that it is just heartburn. The key to all of this technology and surviving a heart attack is early intervention, so if you can learn anything from this article, let it be that Novus Ordo Seclorum told you to call 911 right away if you ever experience chest pain! Paramedics are trained to quickly determine the likelyhood of your chest pain being of a cardiac nature, versus muscular-skeletal pain. They have drugs on board the ambulance to start treatment right away.
Another interesteting fact: Out of all of the tests that can be performed in the ER once you become a "Cardiac Workup", these include 12 Lead EKG, Blood Tests (Enzymes), Xray, etc.s, and your medical history, Smoker?, Type A Personality?, High Cholesterol?, etc., . . . . after all of this data is collected and looked at, the one single most important factor of your diagnosis of Acute Myocardial Infarction is family history! So if you have a family history of heart disease, take care of yourself, go easy on the beefy cheesy melts, deep fried macaroni & cheese squares, 1/4 pounder with cheese, and the eggnog shakes ;)
WB
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Current Posts: 4567
You know, my doctor filled out a lab order at least 5 years ago for me to do a cholestoral screening, but I went to the lab and they told me I had to go home and fast before coming in. It's been over 5 years and I still haven't found a day where I didn't eat a cheesy beefy melt the night before or a greasy breakfast burrito in the morning so I can go take the test. They sure make it tough on you. It's kind of a catch 22 and unrealistic to expect a guy who needs his cholestoral screened to fast for any length of time. You'd think with all the technology today, they could devise a cholestoral test where fasting wasn't required? I'd like to see that happen someday during my lifetime.
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You might want to try this doctor BJ:
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"You'd think with all the technology today, they could devise a cholestoral test where fasting wasn't required? I'd like to see that happen someday during my lifetime."
BJ, there actually is one . . . it's called a VAP test. I dunno what makes it different, but no fasting required. Ask your doctor about it. This is the one my cardiologist orders.
<—Takes cholesterol meds . . .
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That's Kaiser for ya. They don't tell you there's a better way unless they have to. I've heard they have open ended MRI machines too, but every time they keep sending me in that little clausterphobic torpeda chamber that scares the bejeebees out of me. They make me want to eat more deep fried macaroni and cheese triangles just so I'll get too big to fit in the little MRI chamber and they'll have to let me use the open ended one.
Watch, I'll ask for that VAP test you mentioned and they'll screw it up and give me a PAP test instead.
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BJ, is there something you're not telling us?
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I don't think so? I've never been accused of holding anything back. Most people complain I tell them more than they care to know.
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"Watch, I'll ask for that VAP test you mentioned and they'll screw it up and give me a PAP test instead."
LMAO! Hey, a VAP test is a heckuva lot more comfortable, too! Normally, I'm not wild about needles in my veins, but priorities? Ooh, let the vampyres draw blood instead of doing a Pap, annnnnny day. :::Delicately crossing knees and clenching:::
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I do 60 miles a week on a stationary bike...good enough???
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Don't worry about it Joe. Come over to my place .... I got an DieHard battery and a set of jumper cables. :)
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LMAO, Chewy!
<—Has a battery-operated implant.
Wow, thanks for the info, Novus (ya wouldn't happen to be my cardiologist, perchance, wouldja?).
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Current Posts: 1081
I loved Emergency! And now that ya mention it . . . that little fact went totally flying over my head when I read the EKG article this morning. Good question!
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