What to Do During a Heart Attack | Heart Attack Information for Women

Heart Attack Action Plan

• Call 9-1-1 for emergency medical care.

  Did you know?

  Women who call their own doctor before calling 9-1-1 take twice as long to get life-saving treatment.

  Calling 9-1-1 is the best and fastest way to get to the hospital. When you notice heart attack symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately (within five minutes at most). If you call 9-1-1, emergency medical personnel can begin life-saving treatment right away, even before you get to the hospital. Don't drive yourself or have someone drive you unless you have no other choice.

  More about why 9-1-1 is the right call » 
  • Heart attack patients who arrive by ambulance tend to be treated faster once they get to the hospital, and every minute counts.
  • If you try to drive yourself, you could get stuck in traffic or pass out and cause an accident.
  • Calling your own doctor before calling 9-1-1 only causes delays.
  • Common problems soon after a heart attack include arrhythmia (a problem with the heart's rhythm that can be caused by damage during a heart attack) and cardiac arrest (when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating). Emergency medical personnel have the equipment and training to deal with these problems and make sure you get to the hospital safely.

• Talk to the 9-1-1 operator and follow their instructions.

  Did you know?

  The ambulance can find you whether you call 9-1-1 from a land line or your cell phone. If they're equally close, use the land line.

  • Try not to panic. Take long, deep breaths, stay calm, and speak slowly and clearly. The dispatcher will ask for your name, where you are, and what is wrong. Say: "I think I am having a heart attack." Stay on the line until you are sure the operator has all the information they need.

  • The 9-1-1 operator may tell you to chew and swallow an aspirin if you are not allergic and don't have any other medical reason not to take it. Never delay calling 9-1-1 to take an aspirin.

via womenshealth.gov

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