Jewish Hospital Emergency Department Leads National Clinical Trial
Bedside Blood Test May Mean Faster Heart Attack Treatment
Contact: Patty Thelen (513) 585-7200
Date: 04/22/2005
Cincinnati - The Jewish Hospital emergency department is leading a national clinical trial to determine if a blood test (manufactured by Abbott Point-of-Care) performed at the patient's bedside will lead to a quicker diagnosis and faster treatment for heart attack victims.
Normally, the patient's blood is drawn and sent to the lab for testing. The blood is checked for a protein the heart releases when a patient is having a heart attack. When the blood is sent to the lab, the average wait time for results is 73 minutes. In this clinical trial, the patient's blood is tested for the protein in the emergency department, and results are available in just 10 minutes.
"By conducting the test at the patient's bedside, we're able to diagnose more quickly, start medication and get the patient to the cardiac catheterization lab faster, if needed," says Rick Ryan, M.D., principal investigator for the trial at Jewish Hospital and medical director of the emergency department. "For heart attack patients, time is everything. Quick treatment is essential in order to save as much of the heart muscle as possible."
The blood test in this clinical trial is not used on patients whose EKGs clearly indicate they are having a heart attack. Instead, this blood test is intended for patients who are experiencing symptoms that may or may not be that of a heart attack.
The clinical trial started in December 2004. So far, Jewish Hospital has enrolled more than 190 patients. The goal of the study is to enroll 2,000 patients nationwide. Other national sites for the trial are the University of Pennsylvania, The Mayo Clinics, Stanford University, and William Beaumont Hospital.
The Jewish Hospital recently completed renovations to expand its emergency
department. With the new construction, the emergency department now spans the length of the hospital along Kenwood Rd., and adds five additional beds, raising the total to 24 monitored beds.
The Jewish Hospital is part of the Health Alliance, an integrated health care delivery system that also includes The Christ Hospital, The University Hospital, The St. Luke Hospitals, The Fort Hamilton Hospital and the physicians of Alliance Primary Care. To view other Health Alliance news releases, go to www.health-alliance.com/pressroom.
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