Calling 911 for a Suspected Heart Attack

Q:  My husband had a heart attack the other night.  He is only 44, and is very healthy.  He does cross fit and eats a healthy diet.  But after dinner the other night, I saw him holding his chest, and he said he felt like he was going to throw up.  He thought it was heartburn.  When I looked at him, I saw he was a little sweaty.  We called a friend of ours, who is a doctor, who told us to call 911, and not drive ourselves to the hospital.  Luckily, they said we caught it early, but it was a heart attack, and they opened up the artery with a stent.  My question is, why not drive yourself to the ER, it could be faster that way.

A:  Just as your doctor friend suspected, it was a heart attack.  In that situation, you are at risk of complications of the heart attack as soon as it occurs.  Having emergency technicians with you on the ride to the hospital can save your life.  One of the possible complications of a heart attack are arrhythmias that cause your heart to beat very fast and can frequently be fatal.  This is commonly why you hear about people dying of sudden death.

So, we agree, always call 911.  You should also know the symptoms of a suspected heart attack and when to call 911, and you can learn more about  the symptoms by watching  this video on VideoMD.com.