The Bradley County (Tenn.) Emergency Medical Service has participated in a daylong study with Physio-Control, maker of the cardiac monitors carried in county ambulances.
The team worked specifically with the LIFEPAK 15 monitor/defibrillator, which the department has been using since October, 2010. The device monitors SpO2, carbon monoxide and methemoglobin. It uses a display screen that’s visible in bright sunlight, and data connectivity to securely collect and send patient information.
Eleven paramedics worked with a clinical specialist, design engineer and a sales representative from Physio-Control on future improvements to the device, according to a news release from EMS spokesman Stan Clark.
“These cardiac monitors have made a huge difference in assessing cardiac patients and can literally diagnose if a person is experiencing a heart attack. This allows paramedics to share the information with the emergency room physicians and it can be determined quickly where the patient needs to go for treatment,” he said.