Dr. Mike Fenster recalls the day when he received a real-life lesson on the importance of fast treatment.
Two men arrived at the emergency room of the hospital where he was working at almost the same time.
“One was a farmer who came in immediately after experiencing chest pains,” recalls Dr. Fenster, an interventional cardiologist. “The other man also had chest pains, but he waited for hours before deciding he should come in.”
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The different decisions made by the two men affected them for the rest of their lives.
“The farmer was able to return home the next day after appropriate treatment and go back to work quickly,” Dr. Fenster says. “The second man suffered permanent heart muscle damage.”
Here are details on five conditions, including chest pain, for which prompt treatment is crucial, according to doctors.
CHEST PAIN: 90-minute window
Chest discomfort should never be ignored, especially when combined with other symptoms, says Steven Masley, M.D., author of The 30 Day Heart Tune-up: A Breakthrough Medical Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.
“The goal for the best outcome is to reverse symptoms within 20-30 minutes after the classic symptoms of chest pain combined with shortness of breath, or chest pressure,” he says. “Other symptoms that may indicate that chest pain is the result of a heart attack include nausea, sweating, and pain radiating into the neck or shoulder or down the arm, [and] especially if moving around makes the symptoms worse.
“Call 911 immediately in this situation.”
STROKE: 3-hour window
When a person suffers an ischemic stroke caused by a blood clot, every minute counts. Every 60 seconds after a stroke, 2 million brain cells are lost.
This can mean permanent paralysis or losing the ability to speak if a stroke is not treated in a timely fashion. Clot-busting drugs need to be administered within three hours for maximum benefit.
The only Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment is called tissue plasminogen activator or tPA, which speedily dissolves clots.
Doctors may also try to remove the clot with a catheter inserted through the groin. Symptoms include sudden slurred speech, loss of balance, weakness, or numbness of the face, arms, or legs. Call 911 immediately after suffering these symptoms.
HEAD TRAUMA WITH LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS: 60-minute window
Actress Natasha Richardson refused medical help in 2009 after she fell and hit her head on a Canadian ski slope. She died at age 45 a few days later of an epidural hematoma.
“It is imperative to have any head trauma checked out,” says Dr. Fenster. “There could be internal bleeding and you need a CT scan to ensure that all is well. If there is bleeding on the brain, surgeons need to relieve the pressure immediately.”
Dr. Fenster says that even if there isn’t loss of consciousness, it’s a good idea to seek medical attention. “If there is nausea or a severe headache, this can signal other potentially fatal condition such as a subarachnoid hemorrhage or aneurysm.”
TETANUS: 72-hour window
Although tetanus infection is rare these days, it’s still better to be safe than sorry, says Max Lebow, M.D., director of Reliant Immediate Care Medical Group.
“The treatment is fairly benign, but the infection can be lethal,” he says. “I like to make sure that my patients have had the tetanus booster every five years for maximum safety.”
Tetanus bacteria survive in dirt and enter the body through breaks in the skin, usually deep cuts or puncture wounds from anything rusty, dirty, or from animal bites. If you haven’t had a tetanus shot within five years, be sure to get one promptly after suffering such an injury.
DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS: 2- TO 3-hour window
This critical condition claims 300,000 American lives each year and is exacerbated by diabetes, says Dr. Fenster.
Deep vein thrombosis or DVT occurs when a blood clot forms, usually in the legs, and then breaks away and travels into the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism.
“It’s marked by extreme pain in the legs and shortness of breath,” says Fenster.
DVTs often occur when people sit for long periods of time, particularly during plane flights. Emergency care consists of giving the patient anticoagulants and often inserting a catheter-placed balloon stent to open arteries and restore blood flow.
If you feel the symptoms of DVT, get help immediately, Dr. Fenster advises.
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