Why is seeking immediate emergency help critical during a heart attack?
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American Red Cross answered:- Most people who die of a heart attack die within 2 hours of the first signal.
- Any heart attack might lead to cardiac arrest, but prompt action may prevent further damage to the heart.
Most people who die of a heart attack die within 2 hours of the first signal. Any heart attack might lead to cardiac arrest, but prompt action may prevent further damage to the heart. More -
LeAnne Lovett-Floom of Honor Society of Nursing (STTI) answered:Seeking emergency help during a heart attack is crucial in order to preserve heart muscle. One saying in the field is "time is muscle." Every minute that the cardiac tissue goes without oxygen, is one more section of heart that will no longer function properly; thus, decreasing the amount of oxygen pumped throughout the heart. This can lead to a condition called congestive heart failure (CHF) or Pulmonary edema. Many people often mistake the heart attack as indigestion or shoulder pain, only to find out weeks later that the damage has already been done. If you are experiencing any of the cardinal signs or even subtle signs of a heart attack, (fatigue, nausea, dull ache) contact your physician or call 911. Remember: "Time is muscle" That muscle you can't get back.Seeking emergency help during a heart attack is crucial in order to preserve heart muscle. One saying in the field is "time is muscle." Every minute that the cardiac tissue goes without oxygen, is one more section of heart that will no longer... More -
Dr. Charles I. Wilmer of Piedmont Heart Institute answered:It is very important to get quick treatment for a heart attack because every minute counts. Thousands of heart cells die every minute the blood flow is stopped in the coronary artery. Interestingly in the first 20 minutes of time when an artery is blocked, the cells become "ischemic" or sick. If the blood flow can be restarted within the first 20 minutes of a blockage occurring, the cells can recover almost universally. However after 20 minutes cellular death occurs and as noted above thousands of cells will die every minute after that 20-minute period until the blood flow can be restarted. This translates to the risk of the heart attack. Every 15 minutes a patient waits before they come to the emergency room to get treated is an additional 1% mortality associated with this. That is why you see national campaigns aiming to have the patient's artery open within 90 minutes of the time they reach the hospital. We are currently doing research to try to lessen this time in our hospital at Piedmont, as well as hospitals across the country.It is very important to get quick treatment for a heart attack because every minute counts. Thousands of heart cells die every minute the blood flow is stopped in the coronary artery. Interestingly in the first 20 minutes of time when an artery... More -
Discovery Health answered:Like all of the muscles and tissues in your body, your heart must have oxygen to survive. It doesn't take long for your heart tissue to begin to die, if its supply of blood-borne oxygen gets cut off.
Surprisingly enough, often it is not the congestion in your arteries -- know as atherosclerosis -- that kills you. It is the clotting that does you in.
Like all of the muscles and tissues in your body, your heart must have oxygen to survive. It doesn't take long for your heart tissue to begin to die, if its supply of blood-borne oxygen gets cut off. Surprisingly enough, often it is not the... More -
It is critical to seek immediate emergency help during a heart attack to start treatment as soon as possible. Blood flow to the heart itself must be reestablished to preserve cardiac tissue and muscle and give you the best chance possible to regain full cardiac function.It is critical to seek immediate emergency help during a heart attack to start treatment as soon as possible. Blood flow to the heart itself must be reestablished to preserve cardiac tissue and muscle and give you the best chance possible to... More -
Dr. Anthony Komaroff answered:Time is of the essence in all cases of heart attacks: the faster blood flow is restored to the heart, the greater your chances of surviving and recovering. Experts recommend that people diagnosed with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) receive clot-busting drugs within 30 minutes of arrival at the hospital, or, even better, that they undergo angioplasty with stent insertion within 90 minutes.
Results from a large international trial further emphasize the need to act quickly, suggesting that even for patients with stable chest pain after a heart attack, angioplasty may be beneficial only if performed within 24 hours after symptoms begin. In this trial, patients who received angioplasty plus optimal medical therapy (at least aspirin, an angiotensin-converting-enzyme [ACE] inhibitor, a beta blocker, and a statin) more than 24 hours after the start of symptoms had only slightly fewer second heart attacks, cases of heart failure, or deaths than patients who received optimal medical therapy alone. This trial reinforces the importance of recognizing heart attack symptoms quickly and getting to the hospital as fast as you can.
In people diagnosed with non-STEMI or angina, the situation is not quite so dire in the short term, and you may be monitored for a longer period before your doctors recommend a particular treatment. However, early, invasive treatment seems to result in better outcomes for people with these diagnoses.Time is of the essence in all cases of heart attacks: the faster blood flow is restored to the heart, the greater your chances of surviving and recovering. Experts recommend that people diagnosed with ST-elevation myocardial infarction... More
