The First Hour Matters
Dr. Girish Godbole, Director & Senior Consultant – Interventional Cardiology
What is a heart attack?
A “Heart attack” refers to a medical emergency in which blood flow to a portion of the heart becomes obstructed suddenly. This results in damage and dysfunction of the heart and can be fatal. It is well established that the outcomes are most favorable when treatment is initiated early. As the cardiologists say, “Minute is Muscle”. That means, every minute’s delay in instituting the right treatment results in more damage to the heart muscle. Therefore, by recognizing the signs of a heart attack early during the “Golden Hour” and knowing how to act until specific treatment is administered, a life could be saved.
Getting to know the warning signs
The most well-known sign is the feeling of pressure, tightness, fullness, heaviness, or pain that is located in the middle part or left side of the chest. This sensation may take some time to appear or may reappear several times. This is a diffuse discomfort, and one cannot pinpoint the pain with a finger.
Among the other possible signs there is:
● Pain or discomfort that may spread in the shoulders, arms, neck, back
● Shortness of breath, with or without chest pain
● Cold sweating or sweating that people get when they are sick
● Feeling sick
● Dizziness or faintness
● Sudden tiredness, with fatigue and weakness
● Feeling anxious about some health problems
● Discomfort interpreted as indigestion or acidity.
The symptoms are not universal, and different people may feel a different set of symptoms. In fact, typical symptoms may not appear among women, diabetics, and the elderly.
What to do immediately
1. Call emergency medical services.
If you think someone is having a heart attack, don’t wait for the symptoms to go away. Call an ambulance immediately because it is better than taking the person in your own transport. Emergency services can give first aid during the trip to the hospital and can co – ordinate with the hospital better.
2. Aim to keep the person still and without anxiety.
Make the person lie or sit down comfortably. Adjust the clothing so they are more comfortable. Make sure they do not move around and are calm during this stressful time.
3. Continue with the necessary medications.
If the person has received nitroglycerin due to angina, help them use the medication in line with the doctor’s prescription. Do not administer nitroglycerin if the patient has fainted or the pulse feels weak.
4. Use aspirin with caution, if needed.
While aspirin is sometimes recommended for certain individuals who are having a heart attack, it is not for everyone. Emergency services may advise using aspirin especially if there is evidence that the symptoms are due to a heart attack.
5. Make a move faster if the person is unconscious.
If the victim is unresponsive and is not breathing, you need to call emergency services and start CPR in the meantime. If there is an AED available, you have to use it and do what it shows.
Be mindful that every chest pain does not indicate a heart attack or that every heart attack does not give rise to chest pain. If the symptoms are sudden, severe, sustained, and unexplained, then one needs to take it seriously. When symptoms suggest a possible heart attack, it is better to treat them as emergencies instead of trying to pin down the cause of what seems to be some acid or gas issue or pain of a muscular origin. It is essential to start dealing with the symptoms as quickly as possible since the sooner treatment is provided, the better the chances for survival are.