What to do with a Heart Attack

What to do with a Heart Attack:

For the successful detection and treatment of circulatory diseases, the timeliness of patient referrals is critical, and this is particularly important in acute conditions.

Every year, 570,000 people in Russia develop a heart attack and 340,000 die from it (60% mortality rate). In most cases, death occurs in the first minutes and hours from the onset of the attack - at home, at home, at home, at work, in public and other places, even before the arrival of the ambulance.

The likelihood of death from a heart attack can be reduced significantly if the patient acts according to these guidelines and calls an ambulance in a timely manner. Within the first hour, about 50% of all people dying of a heart attack die. Inhabitants of many countries of the world call an ambulance in 2-4 hours from the beginning of a heart attack, in Russia it occurs - in 8-10 hours! This is one of the main causes of ultra-high mortality, especially among men in our country.

Heart attack is a severe pathological condition caused by an acute lack of blood supply to the heart muscle (clotting of the blood clot and/or spasm, usually in the atherosclerotic plaque of the artery that feeds the heart) with the development of ischemia and necrosis (dying) of this muscle. Necrosis of the heart muscle is called a myocardial infarction and death in the first hour of the attack is called sudden cardiac or coronary death.

How; You know it is a heart attack or not?

The most characteristic of a heart attack is the appearance of intense pains of pressing, squeezing, burning or breaking nature in the area of the breast (behind the breast), left shoulder (forearm), left shoulder (shoulder), left shoulder blade, left side of the neck and lower jaw, both shoulders, both hands, lower part of the breast together with the upper part of the abdomen (piercing, squeezing, burning or breaking pains are not characteristic). It is not uncommon for dyspnea, weakness or intense sweating to appear in the background of pain without obvious reasons. Heart attack is characterized by a duration of pain of more than 5 minutes.

What I can if I have a  heart attack.

When a heart attack occurs, it is necessary to follow the instructions received from the attending physician or (if such instructions were not given) to act according to the following algorithm (its summary is shown in the figure).

Sit down (preferably in a chair with armrests) or go to bed with the headrest raised, take 0.25 g of aspirin (tablet chew, swallow) and 0.5 mg of nitroglycerin (tablet / capsule to put under the tongue, the capsule to preliminarily understand, do not swallow), free the neck and ensure fresh air (open the vents or window).

If after taking nitroglycerine, there was a sharp weakness, sweating, dyspnea, it is necessary to lie down, raise your feet (on a roller, etc.), drink 1 glass of water and then, as in the case of severe headaches, nitroglycerine should not be taken.

If after taking aspirin and nitroglycerine, the pain has completely disappeared and the condition has improved, it is necessary to call the local (family) doctor at home and then act on his instructions.

If the pain persists, it is necessary to take nitroglycerin a second time and call an ambulance immediately. If the pain persists 10 minutes after taking the second dose of nitroglycerine, it is necessary to take nitroglycerine for the third time.

WARNING: If aspirin or nitroglycerine is not available and the pain persists for more than 5 minutes, call an ambulance immediately. Patients with a heart attack are strictly prohibited to get up, walk, smoke and take food until a special permission of the doctor, you can not take aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) if he is intolerant (allergic reactions) and has already taken it on this day, as well as with an apparent exacerbation of peptic ulcer and duodenal ulcer; It is impossible to take nitroglycerin at low blood pressure, at sharp weakness, sweating, and also at the expressed headache, dizziness, acute violation of sight, speech or coordination of movements.

Diagram of the text of an ambulance call

When calling an ambulance, it is advisable to use the diagram below, i.e., to call an ambulance dispatcher and try to speak briefly and clearly.

"Today, at ____________min. (who, age) had pain (intensity, character) in the area (localization of pain), giving or spreading to (pain distribution area). Aspirin and nitroglycerine (number of pills, capsules, inhalations) remain in pain after one pill. There has never been such pain before (if any). Also of concern (dyspnea, weakness, heartbeat, nausea, vomiting or other symptoms of the disease). Address (street, house, building and entrance number, street or yard entrance, front door code number, floor, apartment). It is better to drive up from the side ...".

What is desirable to prepare for the arrival of an ambulance doctor?

All the medicines or medicine packs you took the day before.
A list of medicines that the patient cannot tolerate or that cause allergies.
Tape with electrocardiograms, preferably arranged in order, by date of registration.
Available medical documents (certificates, extracts) arranged in chronological order.

If you have a diagnosis of coronary heart disease or if your doctor/feldsher concludes that you are at increased risk of a heart attack, you need to know the rules of first aid in case of a heart attack and always have aspirin and nitroglycerin in your pocket.
In addition, it is advisable for your relatives living with you to acquire basic skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, heart rate and blood pressure measurement.