The E2B Challenge

     Every paramedic in the nation should learn the term "STEMI heart attack" as a first step toward tracking and improving patient care during an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, proponents of the E2B initiative agreed at the inaugural meeting of the E2B (EMS-to-Balloon) Coalition.

     The coalition, made up of industry leaders dedicated to improving STEMI care, came together at EMS EXPO in October to officially launch the E2B Challenge, which urges communities to provide prehospital 12-lead ECG diagnosis and early cardiac cath lab activation within a designated timeframe.

     The meeting was facilitated by E2B Challenge organizer Ivan C. Rokos, MD, FACEP, and featured a presentation by Mayme Lou Roettig, RN, MSN, national director of the American Heart Association's "Mission: Lifeline," a large-scale STEMI care initiative. Other participants included representatives of Philips, Physio Control and ZOLL, competitors all coming together to discuss how technology can be improved for better data management in STEMI care.

     Key topics of discussion included the need for a grassroots movement to make prehospital ECG wireless data transmission routine across the nation. It was also stressed that E2B efforts do not duplicate but rather complement earlier initiatives undertaken on D2B (door-to-balloon) times in U.S. hospitals. Issues to be resolved include funding for equipment and data transmission, as currently the onus is on EMS.

     For more information about the E2B Challenge, visit www.EMSResponder.com/e2b.