15 minutes could make all the difference between life and death
When confronted with someone having a heart attack, do not panic. A heart attack is a condition when blood flow to the heart gets blocked because of clot formation in an artery. If the flow of blood is not restored quickly, then due to lack of oxygen and nutrients the heart muscle becomes irreversibly damaged. This can lead to death.
Heart attack is a state of medical emergency. The first hour is referred as ‘Golden hour’ and treatment is most effective.
MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS ARE:
Heaviness or discomfort in the chest Shortness of breath Pain radiating to shoulders and/or jaw Dizziness Nausea A low pulse Sweating Vomiting
It is often observed that the symptoms can be vague and mild, but it is important to keep in mind that heart attacks producing no symptoms or only mild symptoms can be just as life-threatening as those with severe chest pain. You shouldn’t ignore the symptoms attributing them to indigestion, fatigue or stress as it delays in getting prompt medical attention.
YOUR FIRST STEPS
STEP 1 - Make the patient lie down in comfortable position and give him an aspirin to chew. (It reduces mortality by
15 per cent, but don’t take aspirin if
you are allergic.)
STEP 2 - Right away, call for an ambulance to take the patient to the hospital. (Keep emergency phone numbers in your
vicinity.)
STEP 3- If the onset is sudden, with a full blown cardio-pulmonary arrest (where the heart stops beating), do a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), even if you are untrained. Imperfect CPR is far better than no CPR at all.
CPR STEPS
Place the patient on his back.
Put heel of your hand midway on the patient’s chest.
Push down so that the chest is pressed inward one-and-a-half inches.
Perform 100 pumps per minute (almost two per seconds) until help arrives.
STEP 4 - As soon as the patient reaches the hospital, get an electrocardiogram (ECG) done.
STEP 5 - After confirming the diagnosis the patient is given injectable medicines (thrombolytics or clot-busters) to dissolve any dangerous clots (these can also be given in the ambulance on the way to the hospital). Early recognition helps; every 15 minutes wasted leads to a 30 per cent increase in mortality rate. If the delay is beyond four hours, clot buster drugs do not work.
(Inputs by Dr. Upender Kaul, Executive Director, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre Ltd, New Delhi)
When confronted with someone having a heart attack, do not panic. A heart attack is a condition when blood flow to the heart gets blocked because of clot formation in an artery. If the flow of blood is not restored quickly, then due to lack of oxygen and nutrients the heart muscle becomes irreversibly damaged. This can lead to death.
Heart attack is a state of medical emergency. The first hour is referred as ‘Golden hour’ and treatment is most effective.
MOST COMMON SYMPTOMS ARE:
Heaviness or discomfort in the chest Shortness of breath Pain radiating to shoulders and/or jaw Dizziness Nausea A low pulse Sweating Vomiting
It is often observed that the symptoms can be vague and mild, but it is important to keep in mind that heart attacks producing no symptoms or only mild symptoms can be just as life-threatening as those with severe chest pain. You shouldn’t ignore the symptoms attributing them to indigestion, fatigue or stress as it delays in getting prompt medical attention.
YOUR FIRST STEPS
STEP 1 - Make the patient lie down in comfortable position and give him an aspirin to chew. (It reduces mortality by
15 per cent, but don’t take aspirin if
you are allergic.)
STEP 2 - Right away, call for an ambulance to take the patient to the hospital. (Keep emergency phone numbers in your
vicinity.)
STEP 3- If the onset is sudden, with a full blown cardio-pulmonary arrest (where the heart stops beating), do a Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), even if you are untrained. Imperfect CPR is far better than no CPR at all.
CPR STEPS
Place the patient on his back.
Put heel of your hand midway on the patient’s chest.
Push down so that the chest is pressed inward one-and-a-half inches.
Perform 100 pumps per minute (almost two per seconds) until help arrives.
STEP 4 - As soon as the patient reaches the hospital, get an electrocardiogram (ECG) done.
STEP 5 - After confirming the diagnosis the patient is given injectable medicines (thrombolytics or clot-busters) to dissolve any dangerous clots (these can also be given in the ambulance on the way to the hospital). Early recognition helps; every 15 minutes wasted leads to a 30 per cent increase in mortality rate. If the delay is beyond four hours, clot buster drugs do not work.
(Inputs by Dr. Upender Kaul, Executive Director, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre Ltd, New Delhi)
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