Innovative Web-Based Product From Physio-Control Named One Of The Year's Hot Products
The LIFENET STEMI Management Solution allows paramedics to use the latest broadband technology to transmit diagnostic-quality cardiac information (12-lead ECGs) from the LIFEPAK® 12 defibrillator/monitor in the field to a web-based system managed by Physio-Control. The system then reliably and securely distributes the information via the Internet to hospital care teams on internet-connected devices including computers in the emergency department and cardiac cath lab as well as the cardiologist's handheld device. Rapid delivery of 12-lead ECG data alerts care teams to a STEMI patient as quickly as possible, allowing them to prepare ahead of the patient's arrival.
"The addition of the LifeNet technology to our arsenal has been of great benefit to our patients," said David Chisholm, battalion chief, Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services, Maryland. "It has proven very effective in transmitting high quality 12-lead ECG recordings to our receiving facility. This allows the receiving physician to feel confident in the field provider's interpretation of the 12-lead and activate the cath lab team. It is great to see the cath lab team waiting for the patientwhen they roll through the emergency department door."
Because STEMI affects one or more of the arteries that carry blood to the heart, it poses a serious threat to the heart muscle. Treatment includes balloon angioplasty, often with stent placement, in the hospital's cardiac catheterization lab, hence the term "door to balloon" (D2B) time. Studies show that time from the onset of STEMI to treatment is critical for improving survival and outcomes for these patients. Having this new system enables patient care teams to more consistently meet the guideline for treatment in 90 minutes or less, as recommended by the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology.
Brian Webster, president of Physio-Control, said, "Physio-Control has long been a pioneer in helping medical teams care for patients with life-threatening cardio-respiratory events. As the first web-based system for STEMI management, the LIFENET system delivers lifesaving information when and where it is needed. This helps communities set up STEMI-alert systems that can have a dramatic effect on reducing door to balloon times for patients by helping care providers make timely treatment decisions. This can save lives and improve outcomes for STEMI patients."
More about the LIFENET STEMI Management Solution
With the LIFENET STEMI Management Solution, care providers can make treatment decisions while the patient is still in transport. The medical team can transport patients to a facility capable of providing the appropriate treatment, where the cardiac catheterization (cath) lab is prepared in advance, avoiding delays in treatment. Knowing the diagnosis before the patient arrives can significantly reduce D2B times as well as decrease unnecessary cath lab activations.
"It is very exciting to watch communities all across the country embrace the LIFENET STEMI Management Solution," said Randy Merry, vice president of medical informatics at Physio-Control. "In only a few months we have achieved an impressive level of customer acceptance of the LIFENET system, illustrating the benefit it provides users. We are also pleased that LIFENET STEMI was selected by the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) as one of its 'Hot Products' in June 2008, and recognized as a solution whose design improves emergency medical services for both providers and patients."
Although Physio-Control is currently under a consent decree with the FDA, under certain exceptions, the company is permitted to manufacture and ship a limited selection of product to meet the most critical needs of emergency response customers. LIFENET STEMI Management Solution is included in the exceptions, enabling all government and a limited number of private customers to upgrade their systems in order to better meet the current standard of care for STEMI patients.
More about STEMI
The American Heart Association estimates that every year, nearly 400,000 people in the U.S. experience STEMI. Pre-hospital diagnosis of STEMI is essential to improving care. Studies report a significant relationship between pre-hospital 12-lead ECGs and shorter D2B times, with two recent studies showing the effect was strongest when the cath lab was activated while the patient was still en route to the hospital (Circulation, 2006). Although it is critical that STEMI patients receive care in facilities with the ability to perform angioplasty and insert stents, fewer than 25 percent of hospitals can provide this treatment (Circulation, 2007). The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2006) reported that mortality for acute cardiac events has been shown to increase 40 percent if D2B time stretches from 90 minutes to 120 minutes.
About Physio-Control
For more than 50 years, Physio-Control, maker of the renowned LIFEPAK defibrillators, has been developing technologies and designing devices that are legendary among first response professionals, clinical care providers and citizens everywhere. With more than 650,000 LIFEPAK defibrillators distributed worldwide, the company is the leading provider of external defibrillation and monitoring technology for saving the lives of patients with sudden cardiac arrest and other cardio-respiratory emergencies.
Physio-Control
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