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Your donation can help strengthen cardiac care at Delta Hospital

Donating towards the Code Blue equipment list can save lives
Dr-Sia
Dr. Jacky Sia.

When 49-year-old Stephen White came to Delta Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED), he was in “very poor condition,” says ED department head. Dr. Jacky Sia. “He had heart palpitations, he was sweating, having trouble breathing and experiencing a tightness in his chest.”

Sia and the ED team began working on White immediately for what became an extended Code Blue—an emergency situation when a patient is in cardiac or respiratory arrest. White’s blood pressure had plummeted, and his heart rate was sky high. “We got normal sinus rhythm back, but then his heart rate surged, and he collapsed. We couldn’t even measure his blood pressure because it was so low. At this point, we began CPR, while continuing to give cardiac medications intravenously, including a lot of epinephrine,” says Sia.

Initial Lab results showed White had a dangerously low pH level which is life threatening. “We continued CPR, gave him medication to buffer his low pH. Finally, we were able to get his blood pressure and pulse back after about 45 minutes,” says Sia.

“CPR is not usually done for so long,” he adds. “After just 10 minutes, there can be a danger of irreparable brain damage. White’s blood pressure would briefly return to normal which gave us hope so we persevered.  We were able to get him stable enough to be transferred.”

Today, White says, “My family doctor couldn’t believe I survived. They worked to stabilize my heart for over 40 minutes. They didn’t give up on me. If it wasn’t for the ER staff at Delta Hospital, I wouldn’t be here. I can never thank them enough.”

This kind of expert care takes knowledge, dedication—and equipment. Equipment like the crash cart that Sia and his team used to treat White. The ED has identified an urgent need for two additional crash carts, an event recorder and a vital sign monitor—resources that are necessary to allow their staff to deliver the very best cardiac emergency care at Delta Hospital.

Each piece on the Code Blue equipment list is life changing. The event monitor and event recorder, used in cardiac events such as these, are vitally important for the ER staff to diagnose heart-related emergencies.

Your gift to the Delta Hospital’s Code Blue equipment list can save lives and will strengthen the hospital’s capacity to rapidly diagnose and treat cardiac issues.

To make a donation, visit dhchfoundation.ca.