JACKSON, MS (WLBT) -
The ground rush begins at the helipad at St. Dominic Hospital.
In this simulation, the patient is introduced to Dr. Clay Hays, a interventional cardiologist at Jackson Heart Clinic.
"Hey Patrick how are you?" Dr. Hays said, initiating a thorough and intense collection of vital information. If this heart attack patient is you, expect a barrage of questions. "Do you smoke? How bout high blood pressure? Do you have diabetes?" @
Protocol like this has helped lower heart attack mortality by 30 percent.
"The way we've done that is by more rapid treatment, particularly of balloon angioplasty."
Dr. Hays starts giving patients the specifics while en route to the cath lab.
"We going to put a small tube into your groin area and up into your heart. What causes a heart attack is a blocked artery," Dr. Hays said.
And what causes an increased risk of death is a delay in treatment that should begin in the field with emergency response crews.
"Where people get into trouble is where they delay treatment and the first thing they do is not call 911."
Dr. Hays says once that call to 911 is made, your chances of survival just went up.
And cardiologists will be ready and waiting to stop your heart attack, the minute you get to the hospital.
"We have to undo the blockage or blood clot. We do that with a balloon, something called a stent, which is a small tube,"
Dr. Hays continued to explain during the simulation.
"What we're trying to do is prevent damage to the heart muscle itself because time is muscle."
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