Having a heart attack? Let the professionals
do the driving.
Toronto - Thousands of Canadians with heart attacks are putting
their cardiac health at risk by bypassing 9-1-1 or their local
emergency number. They figure the best way of getting to the
emergency room (ER) is by driving there in the family car.
They could not be more wrong.
"They are committing a mistake with potentially grave
consequences," Dr. Madhu Natarajan told the Canadian
Cardiovascular Congress 2008, co-hosted by the Heart and Stroke
Foundation and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society.
His study took place at the Hamilton Health Sciences Centre's
hospitals. It looked at 487 consecutive patients with heart
attacks who were admitted to three emergency rooms.
"Approximately 40 per cent of the patients in our study drove
themselves to the ER," Dr. Natarajan told the meeting.
Patients who drove themselves to the ER - or who had family
members do it - were more likely to be younger, male, with no
history of cardiac trouble.
They experienced a longer wait for diagnostic procedures and a
longer wait for treatment.
"This group arrived at the hospital later following their
symptoms and it took them longer to get their first
electrocardiogram (ECG)," says Dr. Natarajan. "They also
experienced a longer time to receive life-saving medications and
treatments."
There are sound reasons to dial 9-1-1 or your local emergency
number and leave the car in the garage. "When it comes to heart
attacks, every second counts,'" says Natarajan. "The faster you
get to the hospital, the faster you get treatment."
It's a lot better than driving around in the middle of the night,
or in a big city rush hour, with chest pains, looking for care,
says Dr. Natarajan, who is an interventional cardiologist and co-
director of the cardiac catheterization labs at Hamilton Health
Sciences, Hamilton, Ontario.
Also, in the first hour of a heart attack people are at high risk
of developing irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) that can be
fatal.
Dr. Natarajan's plea for "common sense" is made against a
backdrop of approximately 70,000 heart attacks in Canada each
year and over 18,000 deaths. Most of the deaths occur out of
hospital.
Dr. Natarajan emphasizes: "Getting treatment on time is crucial
in preventing lasting damage to heart muscle."
Ambulances to deliver emergency cardiac care, with ability to
acquire electrocardiograms and diagnose a heart attack, are well
established in Europe. In Canada they are becoming established in
Toronto, Hamilton, Calgary, Vancouver, and Halifax.
"The bottom line is that if you think you or someone you know is
experiencing a heart attack, put your lives in the hands of
professionals and call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number
immediately," says Dr. Andrew Travers, Heart and Stroke
Foundation spokesperson. "We can't emphasize that enough. It's
part of the chain of survival. "
Knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and how to
activate the chain of survival are things every Canadian should
know, says Travers. The chain of survival includes early access
to the EMS system through 9-1-1 or local emergency numbers, early
CPR, early defibrillation, and early advanced care. The chain is
only as strong as its weakest link.
Dr. Travers recommends an integrated systems approach to ensure
that heart attack victims get the most advanced EMS care
available in their area, which can include:
- life saving diagnosis and treatment from dedicated
paramedics in the ambulance,
- advance notification to the emergency room to prepare for
a heart attack patient, and
- triaging to hospitals with the most appropriate and
effective treatments.
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Statements and conclusions of study authors are solely those of
the study authors and do not necessarily reflect Foundation or
CCS policy or position. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada
and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society make no representation or
warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation (heartandstroke.ca), a volunteer-
based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and
stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of
research and its application, the promotion of healthy living,
and advocacy.
