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If you or a loved one is experiencing the symptoms of a heart attack — chest discomfort, shortness of breath, pain radiating down the arm or other symptoms — you know that getting emergency medical care is essential. It might be tempting to drive yourself or your loved one to the emergency department, but calling 9-1-1 is your best chance for survival. Why? First of all, EMS crews know the quickest routes and during an emergency can navigate congested streets easily. Plus, treatment times are shorter when the hospital receives an alert from the EMS team, allowing them to spring into action even before the patient is in the parking lot. In a situation where every minute counts, that matters. Why Call During a Heart Attack? 9 1 1 When You Call 9-1-1* When You Drive Yourself* 5:00pm 5:30pm 5:45pm 6:30pm 6:45pm 6:00pm 9-1-1 call is made. Emergency staff begin tests and give the patient aspirin. If a heart attack is confirmed, the patient may be given clot-busting drugs, called thrombolytics. The patient may then be taken to the Cath Lab for an angioplasty. Arrive at the hospital, without the benefit of an emergency vehicle in rush hour. *Assumes you live 30 minutes from the nearest hospital. This is an example. Not all heart attacks are the same. If not given in the ambulance, aspirin is administered. Additional tests are conducted and results reviewed. Clot-busting drugs, called thrombolytics, may be administered. Paramedics arrive, and once the patient is safely in the ambulance, he’s put on a heart monitor. Begin driving to the hospital. Patient arrives, and cardiology, radiology and Cath Lab staff are waiting in the Emergency Department. Thirty minutes delay in getting blood flow restored can risk a patient's life or cause long-term disabilities. The patient may then be taken to the cath lab for an angioplasty, a procedure in which a tiny balloon is inflated to open the artery and restore blood flow. Cardiology, radiology and cath lab staff arrive in the Emergency Department.
