March 2018
Naara
Zapata
,
RN
SkyHealth
North Shore University Hospital
Manhasset
,
NY
United States
I am so proud to be able to share with you the outstanding work that flight team members perform within this program. In February my crew and I were dispatched to Southside Hospital to transport an adult female on an impella device, multiple drips, and ventilator, to NSUH Manhasset for evaluation of a VAD placement secondary to refractory heart failure. This was a complex patient who required additional intervention by Southside staff due to the patient arresting while we were at the bedside. Matters were complicated further as there was a possibility that weather conditions could deteriorate (given our projected bedside time), which would preclude the patient from flying. Following the packaging of the patient, transport was initiated and went as expected until we touched down at Manhasset. I moved to the rear of the aircraft to unload the stretcher while Naara was dismounting the monitoring equipment from the aircraft. The patient's husband, who had accompanied us on the flight, had just been escorted to the safety of the elevator lobby. It was at this point that Naara called out that the patient was in ventricular tachycardia. By the time I had re-latched the stretcher and moved back to the patient compartment, Naara had already confirmed the absence of pulses and was charging the defibrillator. She cleared me from the patient and stretcher and delivered one shock after which return of spontaneous circulation was noted within about 5 seconds. Naara remained calm and professional throughout. Thankfully, the remainder of the transfer was uneventful. To my knowledge, this is the first time that a SkyHealth crew member has had to treat a lethal cardiac arrhythmia whilst in the confines of the aircraft. I have no doubt whatsoever that Naara's exemplary actions saved the patient's life. I am so proud to be able to share with you the outstanding work that flight team members perform within this program. Professionalism paired with compassionate patient care creates a successful combination which benefits both the patient and SkyHealth.