These actual interventions saved lives of employees
In an organization as large as Detroit, MI-based General Motors Corporation, medical emergencies "are encountered with some regularity," according to Joel R. Bender, MD, PhD, MSPH, FACOEM, corporate medical director.
In addition to cardiovascular disease, Bender says he routinely sees patients with chest pain, shortness of breath, hypoglycemic episodes, asthma attacks, cardiac rhythm disturbances, stroke symptoms, syncopes, and seizures. "Under most circumstances, urgency of response is critical to a successful medical outcome," says Bender.
Here are some examples of interventions done by General Motors' health services staff:
At a service parts organization site, a supervisor in his late 20s was returning from work from a sick leave for right lower quadrant pain of unknown origin. A routine check of his pulse revealed a rhythm disturbance.
"The employee did not have any previous cardiac history and was extremely reluctant to permit the nurse to investigate further," says Bender. "Finally, he consented to an EKG, where he was found to be in bigeminy. The nurse activated the emergency response system."
Shortly after the ambulance arrived, the employee went into ventricular tachycardia. He was successfully resuscitated, transported to the hospital, and ultimately had multiple ablation procedures to correct a conduction disturbance.
An employee complained of back pain and asked an occupational health nurse if he could lie down. The nurse assessed his color and the severity of his complaints, and activated the emergency response system. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, the employee experienced a sudden cardiac arrest that responded to defibrillation.
"The alert response of the nurse correctly recognized that this was a medical emergency, rather than dismissing it as common back pain that is frequently seen in an occupational setting," says Bender.
An employee complained of heartburn after eating a hamburger. After the occupational health nurse checked the man's blood pressure, which was 220/110, he was transported to the hospital by ambulance and subsequently had three stents placed.
An employee came in for a routine truck driver exam with a history of chest pain, but was not symptomatic at the time. An EKG was performed that revealed a rhythm disturbance. The man was transported to the hospital via ambulance and coronary artery bypass grafting was performed.
A 55-year-old man complained of not feeling well. "After a brief evaluation, the nurse determined that prompt transport to the emergency room was required," says Bender. "He was diagnosed with a dissecting aortic aneurysm that was successfully treated with emergency surgery."
A 35-year-old employee had an anaphylactic reaction from a bee sting. "The nurse on duty recognized it as such and administered an IM injection of epinephrine, likely saving the employee's life," says Bender.
A very active 42-year-old employee was exercising at the gym in preparation for a triathlon and became light-headed. He was transported by security personnel to the onsite clinic, where the employee had a sudden cardiac arrest. CPR was initiated, the employee was defibrillated and received drug therapy, and a rhythm and pulse were re-established.
"The patient ultimately had a stent placed and has now returned to his normal active lifestyle," says Bender. "Of special note is that the employee initially did not wish to seek medical attention. Security personnel correctly identified this as a potential life-threatening emergency and convinced him to be evaluated in the clinic."
In an organization as large as Detroit, MI-based General Motors Corporation, medical emergencies "are encountered with some regularity," according to Joel R. Bender, MD, PhD, MSPH, FACOEM, corporate medical director.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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