Dr Vineet Malik, Senior Interventional Cardiologist at Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Punjabi Bagh says “Heart attack is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Most of these deaths take place, because proper first-aid or medical attention is not given. Moreover, 50% of people who die of heart attacks do not have any preceeding symptoms”.
First of all, one should know when to suspect heart attack. It should be considered if person starts having severe crushing/compressing pain in central chest and/or shoulders, usually associated with profuse sweating. Some patients (esp. diabetics) are known to have silent/ painless heart attack. Other symptoms like dysnea/ belching/ weakness may be present. Once heart attack is suspected, patient/ family members should know what to do. Mostly, people delay treatment as they disbelieve that symptoms are due to heart attack or because they do not want to cause inconvenience to family members at odd hours or due to financial constrains.
According to Dr Vineet Malik, following points must be remembered in case of heart attack:
- Every moment is precious in case of heart attack, so act fast. Do not leave the person alone and don't try to manage at home. Even if the person feels little better, he or she must be taken to the nearest hospital as early as possible. There is no household remedy for heart attack. Keep the person in lying down posture, loosen his clothing and rush him to the nearest hospital. Meanwhile, make him chew one full tablet of aspirin.
- Give one 5 mg sorbitrate tablet under the tongue. If there is profuse sweating, cold extremities i.e., drop in blood pressure, then don't give it.
- If patient is breathless, then recline the patient partially and make him cough intermittently.
- If the person is unconscious and unresponsive, CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation) should be performed. Give chest massage and mouth-to-mouth respiration.
- Do not depend on the home remedy for benefit. Reach the nearest facility, which has ICU or advanced treatment facilities for heart ailments. Immediately, get the vitals (BP, heart rate, oxygen saturation) checked and get an ECG done.
- Do not go to outpatient clinic of a doctor. Reach the emergency section or casualty. Do not sit on consent issues. Give blanket consent for fast treatment facilitation in crisis situation. Let the experts act. Remember, it's a do-or-die situation in crisis.
- Options are clot buster/ blood thinner medications or angiography and primary angioplasty/ stenting (most ideal). Primary angioplasty gives ideal results immediately after heart attack in first 90 minutes.
- Do not fall prey to non-scientific modes of treatment.
