by JULIE B. MAGLIO
A “multicenter observational study” published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) in 2014 found that “approximately 5% (2.7 per 10,000 admissions) of all STEMIs (a type of heart attack which stands for ST-elevation myocardial infarction) occurred in patients hospitalized for non-ACS (acute coronary syndromes) conditions. Patients who developed STEMI while hospitalized for a non-ACS condition, compared with those with onset of STEMI as an outpatient, were less likely to undergo invasive testing or intervention and had a higher in-hospital mortality rate.”
It is critical to restore blood flow to organs and tissue as quickly as possible following a heart attack. The restoration of blood flow is called reperfusion. Early reperfusion of heart muscles will preserve the heart’s ability to circulate blood throughout the body. While the study cites the improvement of reperfusion times in outpatient STEMI patients, researchers questioned improvement efforts in STEMI patients who were originally hospitalized for other conditions (in-patient onset STEMI).
The study also found that patients who experienced STEMIs as in-patients were older and more frequently female than the patients who entered the hospital for STEMI. They were less likely to receive interventions such as cardiac catheterization or percutaneous coronary intervention. For hospitals, the study brought into focus the need to carefully monitor and prepare for potential STEMI episodes in patients who enter the facility for other reasons.
The team at Bayfront Health Brooksville was recently able to react and effectively treat a patient who had unexpectedly suffered a heart attack while admitted to the hospital for a different reason.
Jennifer Siem, Hospital System Director of Marketing & Public Relations stated, “An alert ECG Monitor Tech noticed the patient’s ECG waveform was changing abnormally and notified the patient’s nurse, who implemented the hospital’s emergency cardiac catheterization response team. The patient was quickly taken to the cath lab where his blocked artery was opened, restoring blood flow to his heart and preventing serious heart damage.”
Bayfront Health’s Regional Cardiovascular Coordinator Wayne Ruppert presented Citations of Meritorious Performance to the 11 team members involved:
· Barbara Gottko, ECG Monitor Tech
· Courtney Chappell, RN
· Megan Torres, RN, Charge Nurse
· Sandy Connor, RN, BSN, CCRN, Nursing Supervisor
· Belinda Manuel, RN, MSN, ARNP, Assistant Chief Nursing Officer
· Allison Malles, RT(R)(CI,VI) Cardiac Cath Lab
· Tracey Panek, RT(R) (CV) Cardiac Cath Lab
· Hannah Kruger, RCIS, Cardiac Cath Lab
· Anthony Watson, RCIS, Cardiac Cath Lab
· Rebecca Cook, RN, Cardiac Cath Lab
· Sheryl Clemente, RT(R) Cath Lab Director
