The Local Emergency Planning Committee held their monthly meeting on Nov. 3 in Superior. During the meeting, Janet Trethewet gave a brief presentation on “Cardiac Ready Communities” initiative. The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (MDPHHS) received a $3.2 million gift from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust last year. The funds have been used to implement this three-year initiative.

Trethewet is the program manager and said cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in Mineral County. Cardiac arrest is a condition in which abnormal heart rhythms cause the heart’s electrical impulses to suddenly become chaotic, according to the MDPHHS website. When cardiac arrest occurs, the heart stops abruptly, the victim collapses and quickly loses consciousness. Death usually follows unless a normal heart rhythm is restored within minutes.

“It’s called the Slope of Death,” said Trethewet, “After 10 minutes the chance of survival is 10 percent.”

The recommended protocols is for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, or electric shock to the heart. Over one-quarter of all deaths in Montana are attributed to cardiovascular disease and many of these patients die before reaching a hospital.

Trethewet said that in Bozeman, there is a 60 percent survival rate for victims compared to 10 percent state-wide because of increased training in the area.

When a heart attack occurs, a fast and accurate medical response is crucial. Each minute that the heart is deprived of oxygen increases the chances of damaging or destroying part of the heart muscle. About 80 percent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest occur in private or residential settings, yet only a third of these patients receive bystander CPR.

The Montana Cardiac Ready Communities project is hoping to increase survival rates by working with emergency response teams, hospitals, community leaders and the public by educating them about the symptoms of cardiac arrest and teach hands-only CPR.

Rural areas like Mineral County often prevents emergency service systems from arriving at the scene in time to help cardiac arrest patients. With increased education, bystanders can help immediately until emergency services can arrive.

During the meeting, it was discussed that Mineral County emergency dispatch employees should have additional training. In turn, they can help instruct people as to what to do in the case of cardiac arrest. Additionally, individuals should seek out free training sessions that maybe available at local hospitals and emergency services. For people who have had training in the past, they should participate in online refresher courses.

This initiative “represents a significant investment in Montana’s emergency medical system, especially in our rural areas,” the website states. It also includes public access to defibrillation programs. These programs place automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) throughout communities. There are only a few places in Mineral County with AEDs, including Superior and Alberton Schools.

Other focal points for this initiative is for training on high performance CPR for ambulance services and hospitals; and a system-wide data tool for quality measurement and improvement.

Another important tool which the county is hoping to get more of is automated chest compression devices which perform CPR. These devices deliver effective and consistent chest compression with a minimum of interruptions, and provides patients with a better chance of survival, with the potential of increasing survival rates as much as 30 to 50 percent.