July 18, 2005
Monday

Ketchikan, Alaska - Guardian Flight of Ketchikan reports they successfully used a "heart clot buster" drug and saved a patient from one of the outlying islands from "certain death of a heart attack".  The patient, whose name has not been release, had complained of severe chest pain at 3 a.m. over the weekend.  "By the time that Guardian Flight arrived via float plane, he was very near the end of his life," said Ed Fry, the responding paramedic. 

Guardian Flight's total care aero-medical transport Air Ambulance... File Photo by Dick Kauffman

Guardian Flight's partner in the response, Taquan Air provided them the ways and means to get out to the patient to deliver the life-saving drug. 

The drug that was administered is called Tenecteplase, a powerful clot busting drug that dissolves clots in the heart allowing for the blood to flow freely saving the heart muscle and preventing heart muscle death.  

Following the float plane transport by Taquan back to Ketchikan, the patient was taken to Seattle for further evaluation where he was reported "pain free" from the heart attack and able to go for a heart catheterization. 

Fry said, "Certainly without regional transport, the man would have died."  Fry said , "Guardian Flight is very pleased with the outcome and happy to be able to serve the area and also looks forward to serving the region when the need is there for total medical critical care."

Guardian Flight of Fairbanks announced in April 2005 the opening of the aero-medical transport service. The service is based in Ketchikan and is a total care aero-medical transport Air Ambulance. Guardian Flight started their dedicated Southeastern Alaska Critical Care Air Transport Services on May 1, 2005.

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Ketchikan, Alaska