“I would feel foolish calling an ambulance.”

“I didn’t know driving myself to the ER would delay treatment.”

Don’t be like these people. There is no time for doubt with a heart attack. Calling 911 at the first signs of a heart attack could save your life. Reducing time to medical treatment is the primary factor in surviving a heart attack.

What’s wrong with driving to the ER?

Statistics show that driving to the ER can put your treatment behind by as much as one whole hour. And during a heart episode, minutes count. Here’s what happens: not only do you have the drive time, but then once you get to the ER, they have to run diagnostics on you and identify treatment and, by then, it’s not unusual for an hour to have evaporated while your symptoms escalate and your chances of survival decline.

How would calling 911 be better?

By stopping right where you are and calling 911, you’ve made what can be a lifesaving decision. The EMS team has an open line of communication with the dispatcher that takes your call, and they can start to analyze your condition and give you crucial advice. By the time they arrive, they will have a grasp on your symptoms and condition and can start treating you immediately. They are trained to respond to heart attacks and can begin working on you right away.

Once EMS recognizes the signs of a heart attack, they will notify the Cath Lab and the team will begin preparing for your arrival. Patients are fast-tracked and bypass the ER and are rushed directly to the Cath Lab. Reducing time to medical treatment is the primary factor in surviving a heart attack. Calling 911 is the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment.

Trust 911. Make the call. Don’t Die of Doubt.

Visit the American Heart Association’s website and learn more. 

Photo credit: American Heart Association

Doctors Hospital at White Rock Lake

9400 Poppy Drive
Dallas, TX 75218

214-324-6100
www.doctorshospitaldallas.com