What is time important After Heart Attack
Undue delay in seeking medical advice after heart attack can lead to unfortunate fatal outcome. Everybody must realize that first few hours after heart attack is crucial. Most of the deaths occur in this period and proper treatment can prevent fatal outcome. So please do not make great mistake. There are few scientific reasons why heart attack patient must go to hospital immediately:
1. Deaths due to electrical instability (irregularity of heart beat) are very high during early hours of heart attack and this can be immediately treated by counter electric shock (DC shock) if you are inside a coronary care unit. This type of irregularity is fatal if not treated urgently. If you are inside a coronary care unit this fatal electrical instability can be managed even by a nurse or medical technician. A timely action may save your life and it is usually completely reversible.
2. Heart attack is always due to blockage of one of one of your coronary artery (blood solidifies inside your coronary artery and this solidification of blood is called “thrombus”). Now a day’s medicines are available which can dissolve the thrombus/clots and restore normal coronary artery flow and prevent further damage. These medicines are called thrombolytic agents (which dissolves thrombus). These agents are expensive but they are very rewarding. These agents are now available in our hospitals. So, it is a real hope against extensive heart damage. They can reduce the fatality by 45% along with aspirin. But this injection is only effective if they are given in the early hours of heart attack. There are some evidence that if these injections are given within one hour they may completely reverse the heart attack. These medicines are usually administered within 6 hours of the heart attack. After 6 hours their efficacy is doubtful. So, if you report to hospital after 6 hours you are certainly going to miss this magic bullet.
3. At the inception of heart pain you may have minimum damage to your heart muscle, so, if you report to hospital early the further damage may be prevented by using drugs like intravenous injection of heparin and GTN/Isosorbide dinitrate. Early intervention preserves your heart function. So, seek medical attention immediately after suspecting heart attack.
