Crime & Safety

First Responders Learn About Latest Heart Devices

Emergency personnel were taught how to properly treat patients with wearable cardiac defibrillators and left ventricular assist devices at a lecture at Tolland High School.

Local first responders learned crucial information about two of the more recent developments in cardiac care: wearable cardiac defibrillators and left ventricular assist devices at a Monday night lecture at .

St. Francis Hospital's Heart Failure Disease Coordinator Christine Olmstead taught the emergency personnel about the basic design of the devices which help cardiac patients remain healthy as they await transplants, or add active years to the lives of those with heart failure or other diseases.

The wearable cardiac defibrillators are often worn as vests by those who are at risk of sudden cardiac death. The left ventricular assist device is a heart pump implant that helps create a continuous flow of blood throughout the body, Olmstead explained.

Find out what's happening in Tollandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Emergency personnel must become familiar with the devices, which Olmstead said are becoming more prevalent in the community.

"Over 45,000 have worn Life Vests [external debrillators]," she said. "There's an increase in the community."

Find out what's happening in Tollandwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Other than understanding the basics of running the devices, first responders learned how to protect themselves from unintentional shocks as the devices work. Olmstead also explained that medical treatment is different for those with the implanted heart pumps; for example, CPR is often administered as a last resort to prevent catastrophic internal damage from dislodging the device.

In addition, patients with the heart pumps often present without a pulse, since their blood flows continuously, as opposed to the usual pulsation of a heart beat, a twist that could throw emergency personnel.

Volunteer Tolland firefighter Amy Bassett said that the lecture was very informative.

"This was clinically really sound," she said. "This is what we have to fall back on when we walk into that event."

Check out the picture of the devices above.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.