(Kelvington Mobile Health Services/Facebook)

By Cam Lee

New equipment

New cardiac equipment in service for Kelvington Mobile Health Services

Mar 21, 2025 | 11:00 AM

Some important new equipment for Kelvington Mobile Health Services (KMHS).

Two new Lifepak 35 cardiac monitor defibrillators are being introduced into service.

The existing monitors are almost 25 years old, and KHMS said the new equipment is the eighth generation introduced, with the first coming over 40 years ago.

The Lifepak 35 model is brand new this year, and paramedic Trevor Lowey told northeastNOW the cardiac monitor and defibrillator are the most important equipment when it comes to someone having a heart attack, or whose heart has already stopped.

“When they’re in cardiac arrest, defibrillation is the one thing that’s actually proven to re-start the heart,” explained Lowey. “Having a piece of equipment like this on an ambulance is very essential.”

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KMHS’ existing monitors were about 25 to 30 lbs. and were heavy to lug around, said Lowey. The newer model is lighter and more mobile and is equipped with new features like a touchscreen display. The monitors are also equipped for defibrillation, can act as a pacemaker, monitor CO2 and oxygen saturation, and measure blood pressure.

“[The old monitors] are limited in the capabilities that they have, compared to what we’re able to do now with these new ones.”

Lowey said one of the most important features of the new equipment is its ability to provide live view imagery of 18 different angles of the heart. Having this many angles allows EMS crews to more easily determine indications of whether the patient is having a heart attack.

“When we can take 18 different angles, and look at this heart, we’re bound to find if there’s any damage occurring during this heart attack,” said Lowey. He likened it to having a pizza with just 3 slices of pepperoni on it. If you take a pizza cutter and slice one way across the pizza, you’ll miss the pepperoni – but if you make 18 different slices, you’re going to get the pepperoni.

“That’s the easiest way I can explain how important an ECG like this is to patient care,” Lowey said.

The cost of the new machines is almost $53,000 each. The funding comes from the KMHS reserves from the provincial government and user fees. The money is used to upgrade their equipment and fleet, and fund basic operations.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com