When it comes to hearts, every second counts!

In the past few years cardiac care in Gillette has made a quantum leap. Previously, heart attack patients were stabilized then transported to another hospital at least two hours away. Today, a good share of heart attacks can be treated right here with Campbell County Health (CCH). This past June marked two busy years for the Cardiac Catheterization Lab, and this service at Campbell County Health has saved more than 435 lives in those two years!

With many heart attacks, patients call 911 to get help. All CCH ambulances are equipped with 12 Lead EKG machines that remotely send test results to doctors in the Emergency Department. Those doctors can determine if a patient has indeed suffered a heart attack and can send the test results to a Cardiologist. Utilizing this technology saves precious time and heart tissue by activating the Cardiologist and Cardiac Cath Lab team while the patient is still in the ambulance. The Ambulance team can then bring the patient directly to the cath lab for life-saving treatment.

A cath lab is where cardiologists like Dr. Sairav Shah and Dr. Nicholas Stamato quickly get to work and complete a catheterization procedure to assess and resolve the blockage. Blocked arteries are usually opened by suctioning out blood clots or placing a stent—a tubular support rod that keeps the artery open, sometimes with the help of a balloon. The American Heart Association set national “door to balloon” times at 90 minutes for best outcomes; the national average is roughly 60 minutes. But here at CCH, our average times are 52 minutes, with the shortest taking just 20 minutes! (For those who don’t know, door to balloon time is calculated from the time the patient arrives at the hospital to the opening of a blocked cardiac artery in the Cath Lab.)

This is important: Don’t ignore any cardiac symptoms; ignoring symptoms does not help you. Common heart attack symptoms often include chest pain or discomfort (pressure, tightness, aching) in both women and men; however, in women heart attack symptoms can be different and include:

• dizziness/light-headedness
• jaw pain
• discomfort or burning in the chest
• shortness of breath/racing heart
• flu-like symptoms, such as nausea
• tingling down one or both arms or legs

CCH wants to remind you that if you have any of these symptoms, to call 9-1-1 immediately.

About Our Cardiology Program
If you have heart issues or a family history of heart disease, we have good news: Cardiology is part of the services full-time in Gillette. Our highly skilled cardiologists at the Campbell County Medical Group Cardiology clinic are here at all times to care for patients and our cardiac cath lab allows us to provide care quickly during an emergency. And, we can help get you back to your daily routine after a heart incident with our Cardiac Rehabilitation program. To learn more about our Cardiology program, please call the clinic at 307.688.3700 or visit www.cchwyo.org/heart.