Samarirtan doctors, labs catch and treat heart attack as it happens

On Monday, July 29, Loudonville resident and University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center employee Catherine White came to the hospital with chest and back pain − she had never experienced anything like this.

In the Emergency Department, rapid use of EKG testing showed no heart stress, but blood work hinted at heart-muscle damage. As part of an exam by physician assistant Katie Manocchio, PA-C, a CAT scan was performed to check for internal bleeding. Thankfully, no such bleeding was found.

Immediately following the scan, a second EKG test proved White was having a heart attack.

“We caught this event while it developed; plaque was blocking blood flow in a coronary artery,” Manocchio said.

ST-elevation myocardial infarction, known by the acronym STEMI, is the name given to heart attacks caught on EKG. Throughout the hospital, the STEMI ALERT page sounded overhead signaling the Emergency Department had a patient needing assistance. In response, the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory mobilized.

“The sooner we can intervene the greater the odds are for saving the heart’s pumping efficiency − time is muscle,” said interventional cardiologist Dr. Luis Dallan, M.D., medical director of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute at Samaritan. “It took only 32 minutes from the EKG indicating STEMI to the first balloon deployed to prep the artery for a stent.”

White’s left circumflex artery was the culprit.

Ironically, just three months earlier, Dallan performed an elective catheterization on White’s husband, Delmas White. Both came away from their procedures grateful for Dallan’s passion for his work.

In addition, Jordan Repp, RN, the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory manager, expressed his appreciation.

“Our team has built something here. We can provide this much needed service directly for the community. This was our first STEMI for Ashland. The turn-around time was extraordinary,” Repp said. “As a local hospital we’ve seen how well our Emergency Department works with Radiology Services when patients present with strokes, we’re now thrilled to collaborate with Samaritan’s doctors and nurses for cardiac emergencies.”

Emergency over, post-care and next steps implemented

Three days after Catherine White’s STEMI treatment, Dallan ballooned and stented additional arteries on the heart’s left side.

“We expect noticeable results for Catherine because the left coronary artery system supplies blood flow to the majority of the heart’s musculature,” Dallan said. “Next, we’ll treat the right coronary artery − the key vessel on the right side of the heart.”

To help her newly-founded heart health, White reports making progress with stopping smoking.

The clinical coordinator for Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation, Shirley Irvine, RN, said, “Catherine attended a smoking cessation class offered here at the hospital, and as part of her cardiac rehabs we’ll help monitor her cardioprotective medications.”

For an appointment with one of our expert providers in UH Samaritan’s Cardiology Department call 419-289-9800 or visit uhhospitals.org.

Kevin Wininger, RT(R)(CT)(CI), is a computed tomography technologist and cardiovascular technologist at University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center in Ashland. 

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