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South Central First in State to Offer Life-Saving Emergency Service

The LIFEPAK 12 defibrillator/ monitor system provides therapeutic and diagnostic functions in a single, small device designed for both out-of-hospital and hospital use. South Central Regional Medical Center was the first hospital in the state of Mississippi to offer this service. “The LIFEPAK 12 is a major improvement compared to previous versions and gives us the opportunity to improve the quality of care we provide to the community,” states Michael LaRochelle, DO, Medical Director of the South Central’s Emergency Department.

“Because we provide ambulance coverage for such a large area, our transport times are sometimes lengthy. In the past, if a patient had chest pain, we would only transport the patient and start the evaluation when they reached the emergency department. With the new LIFEPAK 12, we can obtain and transmit a 12-lead EKG to the emergency department from the scene or while en route to the emergency department. This allows us the opportunity to see if the patient’s chest pain is a true heart attack or if it is angina. We also can evaluate any changes in the patient’s pain. In some cases, if the patient has EKG changes that are indicative of a heart attack, we can reverse those changes prior to the patient arriving in the emergency South Central First in State to Offer Life-Saving Emergency Service department. Having the knowledge of what that patient’s initial EKG looks like will be extremely beneficial in providing care in an expedient manner. Also, in the patient that is having a heart attack en route, we can obtain proper medication in advance of their arrival and have it waiting for them when they arrive,” LaRochelle continues.

The LIFEPAK 12 also offers the paramedics other tools to improve patient care. A CO2 monitor is used to confirm placement of endotracheal tubes during life-threatening events. This monitor is useful in other medical conditions as well, helping to determine the severity of certain illnesses. The LIFEPAK 12 also performs all the functions that the previous LIFEPAKs provided, such as defibrillation, cardiac pacing, and cardiac monitoring.