South Metro Fire Rescue’s new tool improves survival rates for cardiac arrest patients

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (KDVR) — Going into cardiac arrest is a terrifying experience affecting hundreds of thousands of people all across the country, and South Metro Fire Rescue is utilizing life-saving technology that they say is making a difference.

Patrick Rydell was one of the patients who had the new technology used during his cardiac arrest. He considers himself lucky.

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“You saved my life; I’m getting emotional all over again,” said Rydell.

In a six-minute video SMFR posted on YouTube, Rydell was reunited with the dispatchers and deputies who helped save his life after he went into cardiac arrest three months ago.

“I’m here in the flesh and blood, this is why you guys are here,” said Rydell to the team.

In 2023, SMFR responded to 311 cardiac arrests where medics provided advanced life support. Now, they have cardiac monitors to better treat the community when the worst happens.

“We have about 50 of these cardiac monitors, but we also have AEDs,” said Glen Maxson, EMS battalion chief with SMFR. “They do a little bit less, but we have those on all our single truck units.”

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Maxson told FOX31 that a month ago the new Zoll monitors replaced a decade-old system. The $3.1 million investment has proven to help with positive outcomes.

“Even in those first few weeks of our training, we had some of the monitors in the field. Within the first week, we had a cardiac arrest save and I would argue it was directly related to this technology,” said Maxson.

Crews trained on the equipment for a month.

“So, when you do CPR normally on a patient the underlying rhythm will show the CPR, but we can actually see what cardiac rhythm is in the heart while we’re doing CPR,” Maxson said. “That can help providers to reduce the time that they’re not doing compressions which is crucial to survivability and good outcomes to patients in cardiac arrest.”

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The new technology allows paramedics to give the right amount of oxygen and the best quality compressions to someone who may have difficulty breathing or in a situation where someone’s heart is either beating too fast, too slow, or not at all.

“What we’ve learned through the years of research of the field of EMS is that the simple act of doing quality compressions is one of the most important parts of resuscitating a patient in cardiac arrest,” Maxson explained. “We train a lot, and we want to have the best technology for that as well.”

Out of the 311 cardiac arrests where SMFR medics provided life support last year, 111 of those patients regained pulses. The fire department said that is about 10% above the national average.

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