Victims of heart attacks, strokes need quick treatment
By: BRADLEY J. FIKES - Staff Writer

Someone's been hit by a car and is bleeding profusely. A child falls down a flight of stairs and is knocked unconscious.

Of course, you dial 911 immediately to get an ambulance.

But what if you feel prolonged pain and pressure in your chest? What if someone suddenly has trouble speaking, or becomes partially paralyzed? These, too, are life-threatening emergencies. And you need to dial those three numbers right away.

However, people aren't taking these warning signs of a heart attack or stroke seriously enough, says the American Heart Association and the local medical community.

Half of people who need emergency treatment are driving themselves or being driven to the hospital, said Shelley Berthiaume, quality improvement initiative director for the American Heart Association.

As a result, people die or become permanently injured who could make a full recovery ---- if they had been treated quickly.

If only they had made that call.

When to call
Medical emergencies that demand a 911 call include unconsciousness, heavy bleeding or very intense pain, said Dr. Mark Olcott, an urgent care physician with ScrippsHealth. But heart attack and stroke are the biggest concerns, Olcott said, because they are so common and the damage from delaying treatment can be so severe.

"We're assuring people not to be worried in the emergency room for using the system in the face of any of these conditions," Olcott said. Lesser matters, such as a sprain or a persistent cold or cough not accompanied by significant chest pain, are best treated at urgent care centers, he said.

Berthiaume said people may not want to think about being in a life-threatening situation.

"They may not want to admit that their lives could change forever," she said. But by delaying, they make matters worse.

Dennis Leahy, an interventional cardiologist at Palomar Medical Center in Escondido, said people can gauge the significance of their symptoms by taking into account their medical history.

For a 60-year-old male who is overweight and has a family history of heart disease, severe chest pains and shortness of breath should be considered a heart attack until proven otherwise, Olcott said. But in a 20-year-old man who has just completed a strenuous task, with no personal or family history of heart disease, those symptoms are probably harmless.

"You make it easier for us all if you came to us early," said Berthiaume, a registered nurse who was formerly a hospital coordinator at Palomar Medical Center.

Berthiaume helped Palomar comply with the heart association's Get With the Guidelines program to teach the most up-to-date medical-care methods for heart attack and stroke patients. Palomar Medical Center is the only hospital in San Diego or Riverside counties recognized for meeting the guidelines for two or more years. (MORE)