TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Chilly Future Forecasted For Florida's EMS

ADVERTISEMENT

By KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: June 19, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - There's a chilly future in store for Florida's emergency medical services.

Hypothermia is the result when a body's temperature drops well below normal - generally not a good situation to be in. But scientists have found a way to turn that dangerous condition into a potential lifesaver for victims of stroke and heart attack.

Induced hypothermia is among the EMS developments on the horizon that Dr. Joseph Nelson championed Wednesday during a two-hour presentation at Brooksville Regional Hospital. Nelson, Florida's EMS medical director, also graded how well the state is making use of existing technologies and protocol.

His audience of roughly 50 was mostly made up of familiar faces from Spring Hill and the county, but attendees came from as far away as Clermont and Citrus County.

Most of the topics discussed are already "in line with current objectives," said Hernando County Assistant Chief Frank DeFrancesco. Spring Hill Fire's top brass said the same.

But induced hypothermia caught their interest.

Nelson stressed that cardiopulmonary resuscitation is not just about saving the heart, but the brain and lungs as well. The brain suffers irreparable damage in a period of minutes when a sudden heart attack deprives it of oxygen. Only about 5 percent of people survive.

But Citrus County's EMS began using induced hypothermia five months ago and has already seen dramatic results. By using chilled saline and ice packs in the ambulance to begin dropping temperature, the survival rate has jumped to 60 percent.

The success "gives me goose bumps," said Jane Bedford, chief training officer for Inverness-based Nature Coast EMS.

Bedford estimates the initial supplies cost about $10 a person.
DeFrancesco planned to begin discussions with the county's three hospitals on how to bring the methods to the area.

Nelson also encouraged Florida's emergency services providers to adopt the national standard testing for emergency medical technicians and paramedics.

A cardiologist or a registered nurse can move from state to state with basically the same training, but the same doesn't hold true for EMTs. Across America there are 39 different licensing levels for ambulance professionals, meaning a paramedic in Florida might not be qualified to perform the same duties in Oregon.

That can cause problems in the event of a national crisis.

"We don't have this in EMS and we need it," Nelson said.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT