Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/308517
New Hope for a Healthier Heart Through Innovation A dramatic new technology gives new hope to patients who are too high-risk for traditional heart valve replacement surgery. This technique is so unique that Medtronic's CoreValve® U.S. Pivotal Trial was among those featured in TIME Magazine's recent Top 5 Medical Breakthrough feature article. The PinnacleHealth CardioVascular Institute is among the nation's leaders in enrolling patients in these CoreValve trials. Being one of only 45 hospitals nationwide to successfully perform this trial, physicians throughout the mid-state are referring their patients to us. We are committed to providing you with the highest quality care. For more information, please call (855) BRKN-HRT (855-275-6478). You have a choice. There is a difference. pinnaclehealth.org/heart Mubashir A. Mumtaz, MD, FACS, and Brijeshwar S. Maini, MD, FACC IN ALMOST HALF OF THE NEARLY 12,000 IN-FLIGHT MEDICAL EMERGENCIES REPORTED TO A MEDICAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER BY FIVE U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES FROM 2008 THROUGH LATE 2010, A PHYSICIAN PASSENGER PROVIDED AID, ACCORDING TO RECENT STATISTICS IN THE NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE. Help from Above By Laura Ward N URSES OR OTHER healthcare profession- als rendered assistance in an additional 28 percent of such incidents, according to the study, conducted by University of Pittsburgh researchers. "The most common medical problems were syn- cope or presyncope (37.4%), respiratory symptoms (12.1%), and nausea or vomiting (9.5%)," the study noted, though there were cases of cardiac arrest and stroke-like symptoms. But are off-duty medical professionals who jump in to save the day protected under the law? In general, yes. The 1998 Aviation Medical Assistance Act includes a Good Samaritan provision that offers legal protection to members of the medical community who are professionally qualified, willingly volunteer aid, and do not receive or expect to receive remuneration for their efforts during in-flight emergencies. The law stipulates that providers who offer their services may not be held liable for civil damages, barring gross negligence or willful misconduct, and lawsuits regarding in-flight medical assistance by physicians are rare to nonexistent. However, a 2011 article in The Journal of Emergency Medicine advises providers to accept no compensation even from an airline — whether it be cash, seat upgrades or meals — so as not to risk voiding Good Samaritan protections. ■