Western Baptist quarterly EMS dinner features success stories

Western Baptist Emergency department director Patricia Scott, R.N., second from right, honors first responders at a recent EMS dinner: Paducah police officer James Davis, second from left, and Mercy Regional Emergency Medical Service technicians Seth Lovan, Cathy Pigg and Steve Skipworth. The honorees helped save the lives of Paducahans Olin Bryant, far left, and Daniel Jackson, far right, both treated for cardiac arrest at Western Baptist.

When emergency and hospital staffs coordinate care from the ambulance to the emergency room, they save lives; and two local men are living proof.

Paducahans Olin Bryant and Daniel Jackson, both recovered after cardiac arrest, thanked their life-savers recently when Western Baptist Hospital hosted emergency medical services from throughout the region.

Bryant had a cardiac arrest at his home. Mercy Regional EMS induced mild hypothermia to protect his brain and other organs while transporting him to Western Baptist. Cooling the body gives the brain a break while other organs compete for oxygen in a crisis, such as cardiac arrest, severe trauma or stroke.

Irv Smith, M.D., an anesthesiologist at Western Baptist and EMS medical director, advocates hypothermia because of its benefit. “We know that studies show a trend toward better outcomes when therapeutic hypothermia in appropriately initiated,” Dr. Smith said.

Bryant, who received a stent in his right coronary artery, thanked those from EMS, the Emergency department, Cardiac Care lab, Critical Care Unit and Cardiac Rehab for their life-saving care.

“Even though I experienced sudden death, but was resuscitated, I would never know it,” Bryant said. “I still work my crossword puzzles just as well as before. I had never heard of therapeutic hypothermia, but I’m thankful to the EMS personnel and all the doctors and nurses who took care of me.”

In the other case, Paducah police officers and firefighters attended the dinner to meet Jackson, who was in full cardiac arrest when police officers began performing CPR. Firefighters defibrillated Jackson two or three times before Mercy EMS transported him to Western Baptist. Jackson was discharged later with no lasting effects of his cardiac arrest.

“I want to thank all of them and the nurses at the hospital,” Jackson said.

Western Baptist hosts quarterly dinners for regional EMS workers to study case presentations to improve emergency care and foster teamwork between first responders and the hospital staff.