In the Hérault, Rhône and Hauts-de-Seine departments, first-aiders from the French Red Cross are trialling, in collaboration with the SAMU, the production and remote transmission of electrocardiograms (ECGs). This represents a major breakthrough in emergency care, although the trial will only last three months. There is just one aim: to optimise the care provided to victims.
Since 1 May this year, Red Cross first-aiders have been able to carry out electrocardiograms instead of doctors. They have been trained to do so. When first-aiders at a first-aid post are faced with a patient experiencing chest pain, they are authorised to carry out an ECG. This is subject to approval from the SAMU dispatch doctor. They transmit the results instantly electronically to the SAMU, which can analyse them and then tailor the emergency response and patient care accordingly.
120,000 heart attacks a year in France
The sooner treatment is started, the greater the chances of survival and the better the heart muscle will be preserved. Every minute counts; ideally, the aim is to restore blood flow to the artery within the very first few hours.
Every year, 120,000 people suffer a heart attack in France, resulting in more than 6,000 deaths. The European Society of Cardiology recommends that an electrocardiogram be carried out within ten minutes of the first medical contact for any chest pain. It is considered that the total time between calling the emergency services and the moment the blocked artery is unblocked should not exceed two hours. The quicker the treatment, the fewer the long-term effects.
Every minute counts
The sooner treatment is started, the greater the chances of survival and the better the heart muscle will be preserved. Every minute counts; ideally, the aim is to restore blood flow to the artery within the very first few hours.
"This innovation is not a substitute for emergency medical care, but it enables us to plan the course of treatment in advance and save up to 20 minutes between the time our teams take charge at an emergency station and the first ECG", says Clément Marragou, president of the Hérault Red Cross, to our colleagues at France Bleu Hérault.