Heart attack victim saved; new protocols speed process

Piedmont Healthcare representatives recently thanked the professionals of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services for their commitment to excellence and congratulated them on the record-breaking response time that saved the life of Ramzan Batliwala of Fayetteville. Batliwala and his family joined in the congratulations and extended their thanks to all those who were involved.

The quick response time by Fayette County emergency crews and professionals at Piedmont Hospital made it possible for Batliwala to survive a severe heart attack suffered at his home on April 13. The response was more than eight times faster than American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association standards.

Because of a unique six-month-old arrangement between Fayette County EMS and Piedmont Hospital, only 68 minutes elapsed between the call for EMS and the patient being treated in the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab—including a trip of approximately 31 miles from the patient’s home.

Batliwala was transported from his home by helicopter; a decision made due to rush hour traffic and Atlanta Braves game-day traffic. Piedmont staff also set a new record by taking only 11 minutes to transfer the patient from the helipad to re-establishment of blood flow to the heart in the catheterization lab.

“Fayette County’s Emergency Medical Services coordinated a remarkable response with a dedicated team,” said Anna Kalynych, M.D., the Piedmont Heart Institute cardiologist who treated Mr. Batliwala at Piedmont Hospital. “This is a valuable partnership and a success story that should be broadcast across the nation.”

“Fayette County has been doing 12 lead EKGs in the field for 25 years, something of which our professionals are very proud,” said M. Allen McCullough, PhD., Fayette County fire chief and public safety director. “Bypassing the emergency department and going straight to Piedmont’s cath lab has yielded remarkable time savings for the benefit of our citizens.”

Piedmont Heart Institute physician Chuck Ballard, M.D., medical director of cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology at the Fuqua Heart Center at Piedmont Hospital added, “From the field directly to the catheterization lab should be the goal for every community, and we are achieving that with great results thanks to this partnership.”

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