The maximum time frame for proper management of a heart attack is 2 hours. This is what a study shows that this period is often much longer for patients in whom the symptoms appeared gradually.
It’s urgent ! Symptoms of a heart attack always warrant prompt treatment. The recommendation is even very precise: beyond 2 hours after the crisis, it is not only difficult to guarantee a treatment giving good results but above all the risk of death is much greater.
However, a study carried out by the European Society of Cardiology and published on September 12 in theEuropean Journal of Cardiology Nursing shows that this delay before treatment is sometimes much longer. Patients – especially those whose symptoms appeared gradually – can wait up to 8 hours before getting medical help! And for those whose symptoms appeared suddenly, the delay is still 2.6 hours.
“Gradual symptoms are not taken seriously”
While sudden symptoms are characterized by sharp, intense pain, progressive symptoms may just be mild discomfort that slowly gets worse. And yet “both constitute a medical emergency and require very rapid help”, recalls Dr. Sahereh Mirzaei, author of the study carried out at the University of Illinois at Chicago, deploring that this work “shows that the symptoms gradual are not taken seriously”.
The analysis focused on 474 patients presenting to the emergency department with an acute coronary symptom (myocardial infarction and unstable angina). The characteristics of the symptoms and the time elapsed between their appearance, the intervention of the emergency services and the arrival of the patients in the emergency room were evaluated using a questionnaire.
A median gap of 4 hours between the first signs and arrival at the hospital
Result: while the symptoms had appeared suddenly in 56% of patents and more gradually in 44% (women seeking medical help more quickly than men in the presence of acute pain), the difference median time between the appearance of the first signs and arrival at the hospital was 4 hours. And only 45% of patients had called an ambulance, with 52% choosing to use their own transport to get to the hospital.
“The symptoms of acute coronary syndrome are not specific and their interpretation is often difficult. But chest pains are often warning signs of a blocked artery. These pains should not be ignored, as symptoms can also include throat, neck, stomach and shoulder pain often accompanied by nausea and cold sweats. In this situation, patients should contact emergency services immediately,” Dr. Mirzaei reminds.
Symptoms may appear following exertion
Among the patients having been the subject of this study, the symptoms had appeared in 54% of the cases following an effort. “Men with multiple risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, or a family history of heart disease should be aware that chest pain or discomfort after exercise may be signs of a heart attack,” said Dr Sahereh Mirzaei.
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