Chest pains? Don't drive. Call 911
Signs of a heart attack
-- Discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a couple of minutes or that comes and goes. People can have sensations that feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or burning.
-- Pain or discomfort in jaw, neck, arms, back or stomach.
-- Shortness of breath, anxiety, fatigue, sweating, nausea or lightheadedness.
Photo
Janesville paramedics treat "patient" Eugene Martin for a possible heart attack in the furniture section of the Farm and Fleet store. The event was an exercise put on by Mercy with the city and the heart association to encourage the use of 911 in cardiac emergencies.
JANESVILLE — Wednesday was the first time Janesville resident Eugene Martin had a heart attack while TV cameras were rolling.
But it wasn't his first heart attack.
In fact, it wasn't even a real one. Martin was just pretending.
The 76-year-old volunteered to play a starring role in a staged, mock heart attack at Farm & Fleet. It was an exercise organized by Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center in Janesville, the Janesville Fire Department and the American Heart Association.
The group staged an emergency response to a heart attack, from the initial call to 911 by a Farm & Fleet manager to paramedics testing and transporting Martin to Mercy Hospital to cardiac technicians receiving and treating Martin for a major heart artery blockage.
The purpose of the exercise was to increase public awareness about what to do when you think you're having a heart attack.
Their message was simple: Don't drive yourself to the hospital. Instead, call 911.
The groups say it's faster and safer, and trained paramedics have equipment that can be used to check your heart on the spot—sending details of your condition to the hospital before you arrive there.
That means heart specialists will be ready and waiting for you, saving precious time if you have a life-threatening heart blockage as Martin did earlier this year.
Besides the simulated one Wednesday, Martin has had two heart attacks—including a major one Sept. 16.
Martin in September had what is known as an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or a STEMI heart attack. It's a serious type of heart attack caused by a sudden, total blockage of the coronary or artery. Martin's coronary was 100 percent blocked.
Martin was in his living room when he felt some chest discomfort. It got worse fast.
"He went white as a sheet," said Martin's spouse, Shirley Martin. "I knew then he was in fright."
Shirley Martin called 911 right away. Within minutes, paramedics from the Janesville Fire Department arrived at the Martins' home on Nicolet Street, which is just blocks from a fire station.
Paramedics hooked up Martin to a 12-lead defibrillator, a device that can take heart readings on the spot and send them electronically to a local hospital.
By the time paramedics transported Martin to Mercy Hospital, the hospital's cardiac cath lab team—a crew of physicians who specialize in STEMI heart attacks—already had details on Martin's condition and were assembled and ready to treat him.
"The paramedics saved my life," said Martin. "They made it from my house to the ER in four minutes."
According to the Society of Chest Pain Centers, 85 percent of heart damage occurs within the first two hours of a heart attack.
Heidi Rye, a nurse and cardiology coordinator at Mercy Hospital, said calling 911 can save 20 minutes compared to a person driving himself to the hospital because paramedics do necessary testing ahead of time and doctors are ready.
Those minutes are crucial.
"For every minute that passes, the heart muscle is getting less oxygen and is causing more damage to that person," Rye said. "The more minutes we can save, we're preserving that heart muscle, and that's crucial."
Janesville Fire Department Shift Cmdr. Scott Morovits, who was monitoring the mock heart attack Wednesday, said calling 911 allows emergency responders and dispatchers to gather details as crews are responding, such as whether you have a history of heart attacks.
Morovits said it can be a bad idea to try to drive yourself to a hospital during a heart episode because you can lose consciousness while driving, potentially injuring yourself or others.
SAVING TIME
Officials at Mercy Hospital and Trauma Center say calling 911 at the first signs of a heart attack can save 20 minutes from the time between the onset of symptoms to diagnosis and treatment.
That's because paramedics can test your heart on the spot and send results electronically to the hospital, allowing heart specialists to treat the patient faster.
Still, Mercy reports 50 percent of patients with major artery-blockage heart attacks come to the hospital as walk-in patients. That means they're transporting themselves instead of calling 911.
It's a slower process when each minute counts, hospital officials say. The hospital estimates a patient with a major artery-blockage heart attack who is brought in by 911 responders has an average 52-minute wait between admission and treatment. If the patient drives himself, the same process takes about 72.5 minutes.
Dec 2, 2011 at 8:05 p.m.
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FYI - The new St. Mary's facility will be able to perform PCI. They just won't have the ability when they open.
Dec 2, 2011 at 3:54 p.m.
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smerk19- I am positive that they will not be able to transfer a patient and get the artery open in 52 minutes. It will probably take at least 20-30 minutes just to get an ambulance/helicopter to transfer.
Dec 2, 2011 at 3:49 p.m.
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The new hospital is right on I-90. If you need heart care, I bet you they can get you to St. Mary's Madison by ambulance or helicopter in less than 52 minutes. The best results for heart care come from where they do it the most - St. Mary's.
Dec 2, 2011 at 3:37 p.m.
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emac
Dec 1, 2011 at 6:36 p.m.
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Ever have a ambulance ride show up on your billing statement? I'll drive.
Emac
The new wheel tax should cover you.
Dec 2, 2011 at 3:36 p.m.
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(This comment was defibrillated by the site staff)
Dec 2, 2011 at 3:35 p.m.
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It sounds like Eugene Martin did the right thing by calling 911. Thank you to all EMS workers and to the staff at mercy hospital ER and Cath Lab. You do awesome work and save so many lives.
Dec 2, 2011 at 3:23 p.m.
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I had a relative & a co-worker who both died trying to drive themselves to the hospital. Wish they had seen this.
Dec 2, 2011 at 2:49 p.m.
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As mentioned in a previous post, St. Mary's will not have a cardiac cath lab, which is what you will need if you're having a heart attack or STEMI. As an EMT, we train to get patients from time of call to a cath lab in the "Golden Hour"... chances of survival increase expontially if you get them into a cath lab within an hour. I would seriously condsider calling 911 instead of driving to St Mary's and being told you need to wait for an ambulance to get you to Madison or Mercy... if you call 911, you can always request being taken to Madison, its really a patients choice where they go, so long as the hospital can accomodate your condition.
Dec 2, 2011 at 2:38 p.m.
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lauriejnsvll - the 52 min means that they got the artery open in 52 minutes - not to complete the paperwork.
kellim45 - I hope people dont choose Dean/St. Mary's Janesville when they think they are having heart attack because they will have to be sent elsewhere if it truly is a STEMI heart attack. The new dean/st.mary's hospital will not have a cath lab.
Dec 2, 2011 at 1:12 p.m.
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This whole thing seems like a PR stunt, albeit with a very good message, to detract from that other medical care center--aka Dean St. Mary's--that people might choose.
Dec 1, 2011 at 11:06 p.m.
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wahoo...life and death is no "gimmick" God forbid you or a family member ever need it, its there, all in place.
Dec 1, 2011 at 10:54 p.m.
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lauriejnsvll, I think that part was a little misleading, I believe they are talking about diagnosis (in the ambulance, at the patients site) to treatment (opening the blocked artery) all that in 52 mins. and no, in an emergency like a heart attack, there is no hold up signing forms. Informative article otherwise, many think they can get themselves there faster that waiting for a "ride" but the treatment starts en-route. as do the calls out to have the docs and staff there if its after hours.
Dec 1, 2011 at 10:33 p.m.
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Don't forget Deans Hospital open house this weekend. It will be nice to have a Hospital that does not need gimmicks to give good care.
Dec 1, 2011 at 9:50 p.m.
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I am not a DR. or nurse but it seems to me if the paramedics have already determined you are in fact in cardiac arrest then why in sam hell would it take 52 minutes ? The hell with the admission if you are in danger of dying and why have someone in that grave of condition sign the frickin forms, I know cause I have been in that situation where you just need help ASAP !!
Dec 1, 2011 at 8:49 p.m.
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The article is right, from what I understand, that the new hospital will not have a cardiac cath lab available to treat you if you are having a heart attack. Mercy is the only facility that I am aware of in Rock County that has and will have an emergent heart team.
Also, I was once an EMT and have seen car accidents caused by people trying to drive themselves or a loved-one to the ED. Please, don't do this, call 911.
The Janesville Paramedics have the technology to help detect a true heart attack even before you get to the hospital. This early notice allows minutes to be saved, and when talking about hearts, minutes equals lives.
--As a secondary note, when you see an ambulance approaching with its lights and siren on, please pull over-- we never did that just for fun.
Dec 1, 2011 at 8:08 p.m.
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jk916 - Every year there is an event in janesville - the Bert Blain Heart Walk. Blain's Supply and Blain's Farm & Fleet are huge supporters of this event and raise money for the American Heart Association. Maybe this has something to do with raising awareness of heart disease and treatment in our community.
Dec 1, 2011 at 7:07 p.m.
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it JUST happened. A guy I worked with didn't feel well and left work to go home. While driving home, he (apparently) had a heart attack, "caused" a car accident, and died as a result. http://m.rrstar.com/rrs/db_42226/content...
The timing of this article is chilling.
Dec 1, 2011 at 7:06 p.m.
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Not that its a huge deal, but why at Farm & Fleet?
Dec 1, 2011 at 6:55 p.m.
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Be informed! This could be a life and death situation where minutes, even seconds count! The new ST, Mary's facility does not have the equipment to treat STEMIs. Most people in this situation do not have the time to wait to be Medflighted to Madison! When time is of the essence you need to be in the right facility!
Don't wait until you need the service to find out if it is available to you. Please just be informed. It could mean the difference between life and death!
Dec 1, 2011 at 6:36 p.m.
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Ever have a ambulance ride show up on your billing statement? I'll drive.
Dec 1, 2011 at 4:39 p.m.
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I'd be worried they'd take me to Mercyless. But it makes sense, if you drove there and ask to be seen, the wait would be extended even more so. This way they are forced by law to expedite things or face possible monetary loss. The disdain I have for that institution shall never go away, their lack of compassion or speedy assistance made it clear who and what is truly important. Which, I know, deters from the message intended here, but it still is a concern for myself and, I imagine, others. Save us, but deliver us from THAT place, please. ;)
Dec 1, 2011 at 4:22 p.m.
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Pretty soon farm and fleet wont have any farm and fleet supplies, they will be 70 isles of clothes and a few isles of medical and EMT equipment.
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