STEMI may speed up cardiac treatment

People in Richland County who are suffering a heart attack might benefit from a new cardiac treatment announced recently by Palmetto Health and the county.

As part of the STEMI program — named for an often deadly type of heart attack — county emergency workers will be able to remotely send potentially lifesaving cardiac information to the emergency room ahead of an ambulance’s arrival.

The program is intended to reduce the diagnosis and treatment time of cardiac patients, especially those suffering from an ST-elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI.