TIFTON — Proceeds from the “Stepping Out for Your Heat” 5k run and one mile walk scheduled for Oct. 18 will help the Tift Regional Medical Center Foundation purchase cutting-edge equipment for the Tift County Emergency Medical Service.

Purchases of heart care equipment, including automatic external defibrillators for community organizations and advanced, mobile EKG units will add more of the life-saving equipment to ambulances for use in medical emergencies.

“One example is Tift County EMS, which currently has five ambulances equipped with 12-lead EKG units,” said Maranda Houston, TRMC Foundation director. “These units really enhance the level of response to a cardiac event. Through the TRMC Foundation’s Heart Safe Community program, one goal is to purchase at least one more of these units for Tift County EMS.”

An EKG is an electrocardiograph device which records the electrical activity of the heart. Paramedics use mobile EKG devices in suspected cardiac events, such as myocardial infarction, to identify damaged heart muscle. Standard mobile EKG units have just three leads and don’t have the ability to transmit data to a physician in a hospital emergency room. The newer, 12-lead EKG units are more advanced and offer state-of-the-art telemetry. In addition,12-lead EKG units offer a hands-free defibrillator and a unique system that can track the administration of medications. It can also guide paramedics in positioning intubation tubes in the most effective way. A new 12-lead EKG unit typically costs more than $16,000.

“A 12-lead EKG allows us to start treating patients quicker and gets TRMC in motion before we arrive at the hospital,” said Andy Smith, EMT-P, training officer for Tift County EMS.

Smith said having an additional 12-lead EKG would put Tift County EMC one step closer to standardizing all of the county’s ambulances and would provide an additional back-up in case another unit is being utilized or serviced.Dr. David Ferner, medical director for Tift Regional Medical Center’s Emergency Center, said the 12-lead EKG is a life-saving device that can minimize disability and preserve quality of life after a cardiac event.

“The telemetry capabilities of the 12-lead EKG are important,” Ferner said. “It allows the EMS technicians to transmit the EKG information directly to the emergency room, allowing us to prepare better and mobilize the cardiac catheterization team in the TRMC Heart and Vascular Center if needed.”

Ferner said the 12-lead EKG is crucial in reducing “door-to-balloon” time for MI patients. In many cases, EMS can bypass the emergency room altogether and go straight to the cardiac catheterization procedure room, where a cardiologist can perform a procedure called angioplasty, which involves inserting and expanding a balloon stent or similar device into a blocked heart artery.

“The 12-lead EKG interaction between EMS technicians and our emergency room, combined with the angioplasty capabilities at the TRMC Heart and Vascular Center, greatly improves outcomes,” Ferner said.

TRMC paid half for the original five 12-lead EKG units used by Tift County EMS. In addition, the TRMC Foundation’s Heart Safe Community program purchased a unit for EMS in Turner, Berrien and Irwin counties.

“Our goal is to eventually equip all EMS that regularly transport to Tift Regional Medical Center with 12-lead EKG units,” Houston said.

The “Stepping Out for Your Heart” 5K road race and one mile walk will be held Oct. 18 at TCHS Northeast Campus. The 5K run begins at 8 a.m. and the one-mile walk starts at 9 a.m. There will be a special Champions Fun Walk at 8:45 a.m. to honor all heart disease and stroke survivors. In addition, a DJ will provide music and heart-healthy food samples and face painting for kids will be available for kids. The registration fee for adults is $18 and $5 for children age 11 and under. A special discount rate of $15 is available for adults who register before Oct. 10. To register or for more information, call 391-3310 or visit www.trmcf.com.