Chest Pain? Don’t Call a Friend . . .

. . . but call 911.  In Britain, over half the population will try to ignore possible heart attack signs rather than calling the ambulance right away. And, as we all know, time is a vital factor in getting the best treatment. It seems the Brits (especially the Scots) would prefer to talk to a friend, before calling the emergency services, according to a British Heart Foundation survey.

I’ve met this sort of reluctance to call the doctor before. Many older British still believe that the doctor is too busy or too important to be bothered by their trivial symptoms. But they should realize that the ‘good old days’ have gone, even in the UK. Ambulance services bring medical technicians to patients quicker than they can drive to the ER themselves. And if you are seen in the first hour after a heart attack there are effective treatments that can improve your survival rate; after a few hours, the options are more limited. After 12 hours the major damage to the heart muscle has been done, and after 3 days angioplasty (opening the coronary arteries) has no value. So, if you get warning signs, pick up the phone and dial 911; no one will be mad at you, and your family will be grateful.