Acute Coronary Syndrome is a serious medical emergency. More than half the deaths caused by the acute coronary syndrome occur within 3 to 4 hours after the occurrence of the symptoms. You will have a better chance of survival if you begin the treatment as soon as possible. Prompt medical attention should be obtained by the people having the symptoms of acute coronary syndrome. You can save a person suffering from the acute coronary syndrome by taking him to the emergency department of a hospital in an ambulance with trained personnel.
People having acute coronary syndrome are usually taken to a hospital having the cardiac care unit. To assess the heart damage the doctors will closely monitor the oxygen percentage in blood, blood rhythm, and heart pressure. Nurses in these cardiac care units are trained to take care of the heart patients and to handle the heart emergencies.
You should take an aspirin tablet if you have the symptoms of the acute coronary syndrome. Call for an ambulance immediately after taking the tablet. Most people having the acute coronary syndrome are given anticoagulant drugs like heparin for preventing the formation of any additional blood clots. The heart tissue damage caused by the acute coronary syndrome can be minimized by providing oxygen through a face mask or nasal prongs.
The method and the timing of opening the coronary artery will be decided based on the condition of the patient when coming to the hospital and the type of acute coronary syndrome. There are basically three types of acute coronary syndrome such as unstable angina, NSTEMI, and STEMI. The acute coronary syndrome complications may depend on
- Where the coronary artery block is present?
- How much blockage is there?
- How long it has been blocked?
More than 90% of the people having heart attacks will have abnormal heart rhythms. In some cases, the heart rate will be very slow because of the problem in the triggering of heartbeat. When there are other problems the heartbeat will be rapid or irregular. The most important part of the acute coronary syndrome recovery is the cardiac rehabilitation process. This cardiac rehabilitation begins in the hospital itself and the patient will become normal within 6 weeks.