Question

Your crew responds to a call for a 33-year-old man complaining of severe chest pain and difficulty breathing. When you arrive, you find the patient sitting in a tripod position and breathing 35 breaths/min. He is pale, and his skin is cool and sweaty. He tells you the chest pain was sudden, and is sharp and nonradiating. He also tells you he has no history or chest pain or any other pertinent medical history. He did have a water skiing accident 12 days ago. How would you appropriately treat this patient?

Answer 1

  Always dial 911 if you think you might be having a heart attack. The EMS crew in your ambulance will route you to the right hospital based on your location.  Treatments differ for a STEMI versus NSTEMI heart attack, although there can be some overlap. Hospitals commonly use techniques to restore blood flow to part of the heart muscle damaged during a heart attack.