Clinical

Leading the Way in Pre-Hospital Care

Cypress Creek EMS continues to improve care for the citizens of Northwest Harris County with the continuation of two clinical projects started in previous years, a prehospital STEMI alert program and the LUCAS device, an external compression system that provides mechanical chest compressions for patients in cardiac arrest.. The STEMI program is in conjunction with Houston Northwest Medical Center. This program was spearheaded by our Medical Director, Dr. Levon Vartanian. Dr. Vartanian and his clinical team trained lead Paramedics to read and interpret 12 lead EKG’s allowing them to diagnose patients having a specific type of heart attack called an ST elevation MI (STEMI). Patients with this type of heart attack have a blockage in one of their coronary arteries, and the sooner the blockage is cleared the less damage there is to the heart muscle . The paramedics start initiating treatment in the ambulance that would normally occur in the emergency room. The patient then bypasses the emergency room and goes straight to the hospital Cath Lab, where an interventional cardiologist performs a procedure to clear the blocked coronary artery. This ultimately saves valuable time, and “Time is Muscle”!

CCEMS arriving at Hospital Door→Cardiologist placing balloon in patient = 53 minutes

AHA National Goal for “Hospital Door to Balloon” as set by AHA = 90 minutes

CCEMS on Scene → Cardiologist placing balloon in patient = 87 minutes

Since the program’s inception in 2006, it has proven to be one the most successful in the United States. In the fall of 2008 Cypress Creek EMS presented an abstract on its STEMI alert program at the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Scientific Sessions. This was the second time CCEMS was honored with the opportunity to present data on it’s STEMI alert project at the scientific sessions meeting.

The LUCAS device project is an on-going trial, looking to improve outcomes in patients that suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest. With the use of this external compression device, CCEMS saw an 11% increase in Return of Spontaneous Circulation (ROSC). ROSC is an important link in the chain of survival. A higher rate of ROSC ultimately provides the potential for increased survival.

LUCAS Device Study Article

CCEMS staff and volunteers desire to save lives and improve the quality of life for the community. Our commitment to pursue new clinical programs and cutting edge devices such as these allow us to do just that!