When Every Second Counts

Dedicated Renker Wellness Center team responds to cardiac emergency

For Jim Egan, August 20, 2024, began like any other. The Rancho Mirage resident, 85, made his usual trip to the Renker Wellness Center on the main campus of Eisenhower Health for his morning workout. This routine had been a central part of his life since completing 12 weeks of cardiac rehabilitation following a valve replacement procedure to treat aortic stenosis in January 2022. Committed to his health, the retired oil executive followed this regimen five days a week, but that morning would soon take an unexpected turn.

While walking on the treadmill, Egan experienced cardiopulmonary arrest, an electrical malfunction that occurs when the heart unexpectedly stops pumping.

“I felt lightheaded for about five seconds and then it got worse,” Egan says. “I instinctively tried to crouch down and that’s when the lights went out.”

“Passing out typically occurs when the heart slows significantly, or there’s a prolonged pause between beats,” explains Egan’s cardiologist, Ali Naderi, MD, who is Board Certified in Cardiovascular Disease and Internal Medicine. “If this gap exceeds three seconds, it can interrupt blood flow to the brain, causing a person to faint. If the gap continues, it can lead to cardiac arrest.”

Sonia Rios, BSN, RN, Manager of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation at Renker Wellness Center, remembers Egan’s sudden cardiac arrest as if it were yesterday.

“Another community gym member waved us over and within 15 seconds, four of us nurses and three exercise physiologists were at his side. He had collapsed and I could see he was unresponsive,” Rios recalls.

The team immediately called 911 and initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with chest compressions. They also attached an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to restore Egan’s heartbeat and provided rescue breaths with a bag valve mask, also known as an Ambu^® Bag. About two minutes later, Egan regained consciousness, briefly opened his eyes, and then lost consciousness again.

The team began another round of CPR, and two minutes later, Egan became fully responsive, remaining conscious until emergency medical services arrived eight minutes after his initial collapse to transport him to Tennity Emergency Department. But, it didn’t end there. 
Egan experienced another cardiac arrest in the emergency department and was promptly transported to the cardiac catheterization lab, where interventional cardiologist Praveen Panguluri, MD, inserted a temporary transvenous pacemaker. Later that day, cardiac electrophysiologist Evangelos Diamantakos, DO, performed a permanent pacemaker implant.

“A pacemaker prevents the heart from slowing down too much,” says Dr. Naderi.  “If there’s a pause of more than two seconds, the pacemaker steps in, generating heartbeats to ensure an uninterrupted blood supply to the brain.”

Melissa Mead, BSN, RN, Director of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation at Renker Wellness Center, who was out of office that day, later watched the incident, recorded on closed-circuit television. She reviewed the video with the staff and shared it with physicians visiting patients in the Center.

“We implement hospital-wide safety measures and frequently hold trainings for staff, so everyone is aware of the proper way to respond to an incident, but this is the first time this has happened in this type of setting,” says Mead. “I’m so proud of Sonia and the staff members who were here that day.”

“One of the physicians remarked that it looked like a simulation video - that’s how well our team responded, and I’m very happy that Jim had a good outcome,” adds Rios.

Egan has returned to his fitness routine, gradually working back up to his previous pace. His passion is painting, and he’s also collaborating with his college-age granddaughter on a book about global sustainability.

He is deeply appreciative of his health care team, which includes Dr. Naderi and physicians Paul Biskar, MD, Board Certified in Internal Medicine, and Kam Newman, MD, Board Certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine. Dr. Newman, who practices at Eisenhower Rheumatology Clinic, diagnosed Egan with a rare vascular condition called eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), which requires monthly injections to prevent pneumonia.

“The common denominator I find at Eisenhower is the positive attitude everywhere you go,” Egan says, adding that he is grateful to everyone who helped save his life on that day in August.

“They gave me my birthday,” he says. “Originally it was December 8, 1939 but now it’s August 20, 2024. I’m the recipient of nurses and a health care team that perform their jobs at a level of performance that exceeds the textbooks.”

Participation in cardiac rehabilitation requires a physician prescription. 
For more information about the Renker Wellness Center, call 760.773.2030.