ST-elevated myocardial infarction – referred to as a STEMI to the medical professionals who treat them and “widow maker” to those who suffer them.
One of the most serious kinds of heart attack, with 100 percent blockage in an artery carrying blood to the heart, STEMIs lead to cardiac arrest if treatment is not quickly administered.
However, the clinical staff at the Mat Gaberty Heart Center at McLaren Macomb have noticed a troubling trend that has patients putting their own lives at risk. Patients who are experiencing these life-threatening heart attacks are forgoing calling an ambulance and instead transporting themselves to the emergency department.
“We implore all patients who are feeling chest pains to call an ambulance,” said Dr. Timothy Logan, an interventional cardiologist with McLaren Macomb. “Do not drive yourself or have someone drive you.
“It goes without saying how serious heart attacks are, so it’s crucial for treatment to begin right away, which is what occurs with EMTs in the back of an ambulance,” he continued. “And it’s also the experienced EMTs who know the capabilities of surrounding hospitals, and which ones are able to provide the treatment needed to save patients’ lives.”
Of the STEMIs treated by McLaren Macomb cardiologists in 2018, 35 percent of those patients arrived to the emergency department via private vehicle as opposed to an ambulance.
Arriving to the ER via private vehicle delays life-saving interventional treatment while the seriousness of the case is determined and physicians perform EKGs and other diagnostic tests, increasing the door-to-balloon time that stents the blocked artery.
“EMTs also have the training to defibrillate a patient should their heart unfortunately stop,” Dr. Logan said. “Don’t hesitate to call an ambulance.”
Should you or a loved one experience the symptoms of a heart attack, dial 9-1-1.
Heart attack symptoms:
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Severe chest pain/pressure
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Shortness of breath
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Dizziness/Lightheadedness
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Nausea
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Palpitation, or awareness of heart beat