And well they should. Heart attack is the leading cause of death in this country, claiming 1.5 million victims annually. According to the American Heart Association, about half of all heart attack victims wait two hours or longer before getting help. This reduces their chances of survival, since most victims who die do so within two hours of when symptoms begin. Anyone experiencing pain or pressure in the chest, shoulder or arm, feelings of weakness, dizziness or nausea, cold sweats and shortness of breath should call EMS to be taken to the nearest hospital which provides emergency cardiac care.
Minutes can be critical.
If someone comes in with chest pains, they are brought to critical care. With an acute heart attack, you'll usually find four to six people standing around the bed doing things. If we are sure it's a heart attack, we can administer a clot dissolving medication which much improves a patient's long term chances for recovery. What we are doing is trying to prevent heart muscle tissue from being destroyed. When an artery is blocked in a heart attack, the blockage cuts off life nourishing oxygen to the heart tissue.