As the Stewards of Emergency Medical Service in Mecklenburg County, Medic's Covenant of Care must be to ensure the most timely and effective response to every patient in every situation. Medic is exclusively qualified and professionally obligated to make sure the stricken and injured have the best chance of survival or recovery based on the level of care provided in the moments before they reach the hospital.
While prevention is and always will be critically important, Medic must be singularly committed to those who, through illness or accident, do become patients. That distinction is what sets Medic apart as a medical provider – the critical entry point to the healthcare system for tens of thousands of patients each year – rather than a public safety agency.
Cardiac arrest is one of a few conditions for which timely treatment is most critical. American Heart Association guidelines show that the chances of survival decrease by 10 percent for every minute that a patient's heart fails to pump. So even if the first emergency personnel get to a cardiac arrest patient in five minutes, his or her chances of survival already have been cut in half.
Medic is committed to eliminating "empty minutes" in the treatment of cardiac arrest patients. Too often, nothing is done to help the patient between the time the condition is recognized and the time emergency personnel arrive on the scene. That is why Medic is leading the effort to make the community – those of us who would actually witness someone suffering a heart attack – the true First Responders and critical first link in the EMS system.
In our efforts to eliminate the "empty minutes" during a cardiac arrest, we will be offering community cpr classes as well as working with local businesses and organizations to increase the number of defibrillators. These devices are becoming more common in locations such as airports and fitness centers, but we think they can and should be available throughout our community. Our partnerships with local first responders and with the American Heart Association's Heart Restart program have already placed hundreds of defibrillators in the hands of police officers, firefighters, and emt's. We're not satisfied with stopping there though. We want them to be available in businesses, and even homes, throughout the community.
Cardiac arrest can occur for many reasons, but the effect is the same. Once the heart stops, the brain begins to die after 4-6 minutes without oxygen. To be blunt, a person has essentially died once their heart stops. Without quick help, they will stay this way. The good news is that the right combinations of actions can save this person’s life in some cases.
For those whose heart has stopped, the chain of survival is very simple—
- Early Access—Bystander recognize the emergency and phone 911
- Early CPR—Bystander follows the directions of 911 dispatcher or already knows CPR and begins compressions
- Early Defibrillation—Bystander locates the nearest onsite AED and applies it or first responders arrive with a defibrillator
- Early Advanced Care—Paramedics arrive and begin to administer medications and perform advanced procedures.
We believe that every person should have the best chance of survival possible. Medic has always worked to provide the best possible pre-hospital care to the citizens of this community. When it comes to cardiac arrest, we need your help.
- Learn CPR—it may save the life of someone you love one day
- Learn the symptoms of heart attacks and strokes—recognizing the symptoms of these killers may prevent your loved one from going into cardiac arrest
- Recognize that a problem exists
- Get involved—make the call to 911 and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. They will give you step-by-step instructions on what-to-do.
- Keep going—don’t stop doing cpr until paramedics or first responders arrive. You are giving that person the best possible chance of survival.
- Ask about AEDs (defibrillators)—does your church, business, fitness center have one? If not, why not? These inexpensive devices might save your life one day.
Please feel free to contact us with questions.
Eric Morrison, Community Relations Coordinator, can be reached at 704-943-6163, or by e-mail at ericm@medic911.com.
