Emergency Care
Prior to arrival at the hospital
If you are experiencing chest discomfort and any of the aforementioned symptoms, you or someone close to you should call an ambulance immediately. Use 911 or your local emergency number. If you are not sure if you are having a heart attack, call your doctor immediately. There is a strong tendency to deny the possibility of a heart attack. Denial and delaying medical treatment can cost you your life. Research shows that one in three people die from a heart attack within the first few hours of experiencing chest pain. Making the decision to get to a hospital as early as possible is often the single most important factor in determining your likelihood of survival.
If your doctor has previously prescribed nitroglycerin tablets for you, put one under your tongue when the symptoms begin and repeat at five-minute intervals for a total of three doses. If the symptoms have not disappeared within 15 minutes, call an ambulance immediately. Do not take nitroglycerin tablets unless directed by a doctor. In patients with a condition known as aortic stenosis, taking nitroglycerin tablets can precipitate death. If you do have this condition, clearly understand from your doctor how you should respond in the event that you do develop worrisome chest pain. Do not take nitroglycerin if you have recently taken medicine for erectile dysfunction. The combination of nitroglycerin and such medicines can cause death.
As soon as you think you are having a heart attack, take one adult strength aspirin (325 mg), unless you have a specific allergy to it or a condition that makes taking aspirin highly risky. While perhaps the most inexpensive of all heart related therapies, aspirin is also one of the most effective.
Unlike a heart attack, if you believe you are having a stroke, aspirin may not be beneficial and may even prove harmful. This is because not all strokes are due to blood clots. Some are due to bleeding. Aspirin may worsen a stroke if it is due to bleeding.
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