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  • Life - Health & Wellness
  • Updated: April 12, 2021

New Research On What To Do When Experiencing Chest Pain

New Research On What To Do When Experiencing Chest Pain

A new research has revealed that calling an ambulance when experiencing chest pain may deliver better outcomes.

Heart attack is a health condition that was prevalent among elderly or overweight people. The trend has changed in recent times with younger persons and even those with normal BMIs (body mass index) having heart attacks.

A heart attack happens when the supply and flow of oxygen and blood to the heart is suddenly disrupted or blocked. It is a health situation that is potentially life-threatening which could lead to Sudden Cardiac Death.

The major risk factors for having a heart attack are age, sex, family history, and race. 

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One of the major symptoms of a potential heart attack is chest pain/discomfort.

Other symptoms include discomfort in other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.

A recent publication by the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday, April 12, 2021, revealed that calling an ambulance when experiencing chest pain rather than organizing other transport to a hospital means faster intervention and may deliver better outcomes.

According to report, the research was led by a professor of cardiology at Concord Repatriation Hospital in Sydney, David Brieger, and Dr. Eleanor Redwood from Prince of Wales Hospital and Community Health Services.

The researchers analyzed data from the patients with confirmed ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) from 43 hospitals from February 23, 2009, to December 31, 2017.

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The research found that the time between arrival at the hospital and reperfusion was significantly shorter for patients who arrived by ambulance than for other patients.

As prompt reperfusion could reduce morbidity and mortality, it is vital to minimize the time between symptom onset and reperfusion.

“In spite of the less favorable risk profiles of patients who arrive by ambulance, their hospital outcomes are comparable with those of patients who present directly to the hospital, presumably because of their more rapid access to reperfusion,’’ the research article said.

Researchers said this underscored the value of calling an ambulance when chest pain develops and suggested that this public health message should be more actively promoted. 

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In view of the above recommendation, there is the need to create awareness among Nigerians of the '112' toll-free telephone number, launched for emergencies in order to reduce the mortality rate from heart attack and other health emergencies.

The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) had in 2019, established and operationalized Emergency Communication Centres (ECC) across 18 states including Abuja, the FCT, aimed at providing a one-stop shop for receiving distress calls from the public and dispatching same to the appropriate response agencies.

In Lagos State, there is a Lagos Response Unit in place to swiftly attend to emergency situations when called upon on the 112 emergency number. According to report, an ambulance would be made available at the requested location in a short while.

 

 

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