South Miami Hospital is taking part in Duke University’s new Time Study that is putting wireless technology to the test. As part of the study, Coral Gables Fire Rescue paramedics are using a PDA to transmit 12-lead EKGs to the hospital’s Emergency Department staff for heart attack patients.
Armando Garcia, M.D., who heads the Heart Attack Unit for South Miami Heart Center, was involved in setting up the hospital’s participation. “We’re trying to measure how many crucial minutes can be saved by transmitting vital information to the ED staff before the patient even arrives,” said Dr. Garcia. “The outcomes are very good for patients whose arteries can be opened in less than 90 minutes. Our goal now is to get to them in less than 60 minutes.” In the rescue truck, the patient is hooked up to the EKG machine that’s connected to the paramedic’s PDA, which sends the wireless signal to the main server in the ED. That information is transmitted to about a dozen doctors and nurses who carry pocket receivers.
