News Taffy

When the cardiologists at St. Bernard’s hear a Code STEMI is on the way, they spring into action to provide immediate treatment. A Code STEMI refers to a very serious type of heart attack in which one of the heart’s major arteries is blocked and can result in sudden death if the patient does not receive fast intervention. The goal is to keep treatment time under 90 minutes for optimal results. St. Bernard’s has consistently achieved treatment for Code STEMI patients living in Jonesboro in under 51 minutes and within 78 minutes for patients transferred from outlying hospitals, including transportation time.

A recent report from the American Heart Association Mission: Lifeline for the 12 months ending September 2013 showed St. Bernard’s STEMI program reduced their mortality rate for heart attack patients to 2.3%, which is three times lower than the national average of 6.4%. Clearly, St. Bernard’s Delta Ridge STEMI network excels at saving lives.

Prior to 1992, Dr. Roger Hill had started the practice of taking heart attack patients directly to the cath lab instead of giving blood thinners which was the standard treatment at the time. Dr. Barry Tedder expanded Dr. Hill’s idea and began the STEMI program seven years ago to further streamline the system to treat heart attacks. This involved years of studying each step involved in getting the patient to the emergency room, properly diagnosing the problem and sending the patient to the cath lab for angioplasty. Pam Jeter, R. N., was hired to collect data, set up meetings with doctors, nurses, ambulance crews and administration to design a more efficient treatment process. One of the most important concepts was to treat STEMIs like trauma where speed is critical to survival.

Dr. Tedder and Paige Clarkson, R.N., the STEMI Coordinator, have facilitated care between ST. Bernard’s emergency room, area hospitals and doctors and ambulance services to recognize life threatening heart attacks on an EKG. EMT personnel are trained to perform an EKG in a patient’s home and alert the STEMI network. Patients are transported directly to the St. Bernard’s cardiac cath lab for angioplasty to restore blood flow to the heart to prevent heart failure and death. Dr. Tedder says the system is working well due to the dedication and hard work of numerous doctors, nurses, administrators and EMT personnel in the region in reducing the time it takes to make a diagnosis and perform angioplasty. Currently Walnut Ridge, Pocahontas, Paragould, Blytheville, Wynne, Osceola, Piggott, Newport and Kennett hospitals, 12 paramedic services and 4 air ambulance services are participating in the Delta Ridge STEMI network.

The biggest problem remaining to improve survival is patient delay in calling for an ambulance when they begin to experience symptoms. So often patients waste time denying the possibility they are having a heart attack. So if you ever experience any of the symptoms of a heart attack, don’t delay - call for help!