Kern Countys 12-lead program helps EMTs identify heart attacks in the field, officials say
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Summary
Kern Countys 12 Leads Ahead initiative allowed EMTs to perform field 12-lead ECGs that identified a STEMI and prompted urgent transport; county and hospital representatives credited the technology for speeding care and improving coordination.
Kern Countys 12 Leads Ahead initiative enabled EMTs to perform a 12-lead ECG during a March 911 call for what was described as shoulder pain; EMTs Joshua Ovaieh and Jonathan Martin identified a STEMI heart attack, shifted to lights-and-sirens transport and notified the hospital, and the patient was discharged soon after, the host reported.
A responder who commented on the outcome said it was "amazing" to learn the event was a legitimate STEMI and that quick interventions such as aspirin and oxygen helped prolong the patients life.
A hospital representative said early notification lets teams prepare in the emergency department: "From a hospital perspective, we want to make sure that we have teams waiting at the door ready to receive that patient, making room in the ER wherever we need to." The host also reported that in just over a month the 12-lead devices have been used more than 900 times across Kern County.
County officials described the program as a step forward that expands cardiac assessment beyond paramedics and allows basic life support teams to identify cardiac emergencies earlier and connect patients to care faster.
