Timely care matters most

JAIPUR: If medical care is provided to a patient within the first hour of cardiac arrest, the chances of his survival are more. It often remains a dilemma to some whether the patient should wait for the ambulance or be taken by private conveyance to reach hospital.
���It is recommended that in case of an emergency, patient should be transported through an ambulance, and heart trouble is no different,��� says Emergency incharge of SMS hospital, Dr Suresh Sehgal.���It is always better to seek professional help as the patient fearing a heart trouble should not be allowed exertion,��� he adds.
In fact, the ambulances of Jaipur are more equipped today to deal with such cases. The ���108��� ambulance has a paramedic, blood pressure monitoring devices and multiple life-saving drugs that can be given to a patient after consulting a doctor.
���In case of cardiac trouble, it is recommended that treatment is initiated in the ambulance itself. An onboard doctor with facilities like defabulator and life-saving medicines can help the patient before he reaches hospital,��� says Dr Pankaj Anand, Emergency incharge, Fortis-Escorts. ���An ambulance allows the patient to lie straight and provides enough room for his attendants to provide chest massage. If a medical professional is accompanying the patient, he can also use other resources available in the ambulance,��� says Dr Pradip Goya, who recently had a similar experience while accompanying one of his relatives to a nearby hospital.
Yet, despite the merits, doctors caution while dealing with a cardiac patient. ���The primary objective must be to transport the cardiac patient safely and speedily to the nearest heartcare specialty,��� suggests cardiac specialist Dr S N Sharma of SMS Hospital.