| |
as told by Steven Smart, MD
 If you’re going to have a heart attack, it’s best to do so with a cardiologist and a CCU nurse on the scene. This may seem like a highly unlikely scenario, but for Mike Klimek, who later became my patient, that’s exactly what happened.
Mike was leaving Kohl’s department store one day last fall, because he had started to feel ill. Nauseous and lightheaded, he thought he was having an anxiety attack.
As fate would have it, I was heading toward the store when I noticed Mike staggering. My first thought was he was drunk. As I got closer, I noticed he was very pale and sweating profusely. As a cardiologist, I then suspected it might be his heart. In another stroke of luck, coming out of the store behind Mike was Todd Culligan, RN, a nurse in the Coronary Care Unit (CCU). Todd and I reached Mike as he fell to his knees.
 Mike had just stepped from the sidewalk, so he had fallen in an area of the parking lot where traffic was an issue. He just wanted to go to his car, but we told him that wasn’t a good idea. By the time we got Mike back in the store, he was on the verge of collapsing. We laid him down and elevated his feet while the store manager called 911.
While we waited for the rescue squad, we monitored Mike and found his pulse to be about 30 beats per minute. A normal heart rate is 60 to 100 beats per minute. We later learned he had complete heart blockage with an acute inferior myocardial infarction.
The emergency medical team performed an electrocardiogram (EKG) in the field, which confirmed that Mike’s heart was not functioning properly. They called a Priority One Heart Attack, which mobilizes a specialized team. When Mike arrived at Gundersen Lutheran, he was taken immediately to the Cath Lab where cardiac specialists were ready to perform emergency angioplasty.
Mike is doing better now and is back to work. With help from his wife and 15-year-old daughter, Mike is making some lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking, exercising more and eating better, to help prevent future problems. So the next time I run into Mike at the store, I hope it’s just to say hello. |