Blocked arteries.The latest bulletin from that most farcical of public institutions, the government of the District of Columbia District of Columbia, federal district (2000 pop. 572,059, a 5.7% decrease in population since the 1990 census), 69 sq mi (179 sq km), on the east bank of the Potomac River, coextensive with the city of Washington, D.C. (the capital of the United States). : District emergency medical services An Emergency medical service (abbreviated to initialism "EMS" in many countries) is a service providing out-of-hospital acute care and transport to definitive care, to patients with illnesses and injuries which the patient believes constitutes a medical emergency. save the lives of 4 percent of Washingtonians who suffer cardiac arrest cardiac arrest n. Abbr. CA A sudden cessation of cardiac function, resulting in loss of effective circulation. Cardiac arrest A condition in which the heart stops functioning. . In Seattle, the figure is 45 percent, according to Matthew Cella of The Washington Times. In April, he adds, "the number of critical medical calls reached within 8 minutes by district personnel was 55 percent; the national average is 90 percent." If you're planning to come to Washington, you might want to consult your cardiologist before you call your travel agent. If you're planning to arrive at Reagan National Airport, bring your own defibrillator defibrillator, device that delivers an electrical shock to the heart in order to stop certain forms of rapid heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias). The shock changes a fibrillation to an organized rhythm or changes a very rapid and ineffective cardiac rhythm to a . |
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