Her chance of survival – ‘almost zero,’ but San Diego patient saved by county pilot program
A year ago Michelle Alvarado faced death only to be saved by an extraordinary anatomical procedure Not long ago she marked that one-year anniversary with Nick Black the National City Fire Department paramedic who made the right call and helped save her life I still feel like it didn t happen to me disclosed Alvarado Last May when Alvarado experienced sudden cardiac arrest Black made the critical decision to have her ambulance avoid the nearest hospitals and take her instead to Sharp Memorial Hospital in Kearny Mesa There she was treated as part of an innovative San Diego County pilot project for patients in cardiac arrest For minutes Alvarado received CPR from Black multiple first responders and Dr Saul Levine s Sharp urgency gang to keep her blood pumping until she could be placed on ECMO Somebody who has had cardiac arrest for minutes chances of survival approach zero Levine noted And she walked out of the hospital Truly amazing ECMO or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation is a biological procedure for critical patients with life-threatening heart or lung failure An ECMO machine is used to pump blood out of a person s body add oxygen remove carbon dioxide and then pump the blood back into the body ECMO saved Alvarado s life and was available for her because of a operation that can be discovered in only a insufficient locations around the world In San Diego County brought together local health leaders to create the San Diego Resuscitation Consortium SDRC with the goal of saving lives A new system of care was established and a year later the county launched the Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation ECPR pilot initiative As part of the pilot activity paramedics identify eligible cardiac arrest patients and movement them to one of three participating hospitals Sharp Memorial Scripps La Jolla and Sharp Grossmont Emergency physicians are available around the clock to forthwith initiate life-saving rehabilitation On November UCSD Therapeutic Center Hillcrest joined the pilot venture becoming the fourth approved ECPR Receiving Center in the county Leaders say the campaign is setting a new standard and transforming cardiac arrest care not just in the region but worldwide Though not all patients are good candidates for the initiative ECMO can bring those who are back from certain death Michelle Alvarado is living proof Inset Photo Michelle Alvarado on the bench center with her husband Ronnie surrounded by the Sharp curative club that helped save her life Photo courtesy of County News Center via YouTube
