Don't Die Of Doubt

Don’t hesitate or doubt:  Call 911 at the first sign of a heart attack or stroke, implore the spectrum of American Heart Association Collin County representatives. Recent statistics suggest people aren’t calling 911, or they're delaying critical care, due to the pandemic. In fact, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality reports indicate emergency room visits this year decreased by as much as 42 percent compared to the same periods last year.

"That’s dangerous — and possibly deadly. Heart disease and stroke are still the world’s leading causes of death, and they haven’t stopped for COVID-19," says Steve Love, president and CEO of Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council. "Despite pandemic concerns, hospitals are still the safest place for you to be when medical emergencies strike."

That's why American Heart Association representatives, along with W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund at Communities Foundation of Texas, launched a new public awareness campaign to respond to the alarming drop in 911 calls fueled by COVID-19 fears. Called "Don't Die of Doubt," the campaign emphasizes the best chance to survive an acute event, such as a heart attack or stroke, is to call 911 and get an ambulance to the hospital where medical professionals are fully prepared to treat patients thoroughly and safely. 

"Seeking timely care within the first 20 minutes of experiencing heart attack symptoms makes an immense difference in surviving and recovering. We're seeing record-setting complications related to delays in care and sudden at-home deaths, compared to the number of people passing from COVID," says cardiologist Dr. Marc Krock, who serves on the American Heart Association's Collin County Heart Ball executive leadership team.

Dr. Krock is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology, and has been practicing cardiology in North Texas since 2005. He was the director of peripheral vascular disease as well as chief of cardiology at Medical City Plano for several years. In 2015, he opened The Heart Smart Group, with an office located at Medical City Frisco and is its director of cardiology. He can be heard periodically offering heart-healthy tips on “Rock with Doc Krock,” on 92.5 Lone Star Radio.

He reminds that with the newer cardiac catheterization lab established a few years ago at Medical City, heart attack victims can possibly be gotten into life-saving angioplasty procedures within 30 minutes of calling 911, depending on where they live in the Frisco/Starwood area. 

"When it comes to heart attack symptoms, there are three, basic red alerts:  severity of pain that gets worse and worse in 5 to 10 minutes, pain that then radiates to the back, neck or arms, and an overall feeling or sense of doom," Dr. Krock reveals. 

He says patients can be comforted by the fact that hospital staffs are used to stringent protocols. "Infection control is nothing new to hospital teams, and now they're doing it more efficiently than ever before. We've already been isolating patients and triaging them into certain areas. And then we sanitize completely after each heart patient is taken through the hospital areas that they need to go through."

One adjustment to this year's pandemic has been that ambulance crews are administering COVID-19 rapid testing to patients on the way to hospitals. 

"We've taken many precautions, and it may seem like emergency rooms are chaotic, but we're really under control," adds Dr. Krock. 

“We're thrilled to collaborate with the American Heart Association on the Don’t Die of Doubt campaign,“ says Sarah Cotton Nelson, Communities Foundation of Texas chief philanthropy officer. “We encourage everyone facing a medical emergency to seek help quickly. Don't be afraid of the hospital due to the pandemic. If something’s not right, you should pay attention to the warning signs of heart attack and stroke, and seek emergency care.”

DON'T DIE OF DOUBT -- HEED THESE AHA WARNINGS:

1. Every minute counts in an emergency. Symptoms such as chest pain; pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, or jaw; nausea; and shortness of breath are still symptoms of heart attack. Sudden face drooping, weakness in an arm or leg, or speech difficulty are stroke symptoms. Any of these symptoms required emergency care in the past. They still require emergency care now.
2. Medical professionals train for years to help with medical emergencies. When experiencing symptoms, people need to be seen in an emergency department that’s qualified and capable of taking care of a cardiac or stroke emergency; don't worry about overburdening them. They’re committed to saving lives, and that's true still during COVID-19.
3. Calling 911 at the first sign of a heart attack or stroke could save your life, or a loved one’s. From dispatchers to first responders, the emergency response system is prepared to help patients safely and quickly, even during a pandemic. First responders are trained to avoid spreading germs. Hospitals are following protocols to sanitize, socially distance and keep infected people away from others. Many now have separate emergency rooms, operating rooms, cardiac catheterization rooms and ICUs to separate COVID-19 patients.
4. It's hard to be alone in hospitals, but heart attacks and strokes can be deadly or lead to serious disability. The sooner people get help, the better — and the more likely they'll be alive to see their loved ones again.
5. Don't let perceived costs stop you from calling. The Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act is a federal law that requires anyone being treated in a hospital emergency department with an emergency condition to be stabilized and treated, regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay. The federal Affordable Care Act generally requires most health plans to cover emergency services. Any health plan providing benefits for emergency services must cover them regardless of whether the health care provider or hospital is an in-network provider. In addition, the plan can’t impose a copayment or coinsurance on out-of-network emergency services that’s greater than the in-network cost.   
6. Heart attack and stroke treatment begins in ambulances. Research shows calling 911 helps people get treated more quickly, as well as get to the right hospital to best treat individual conditions.
7. For languages other than English, dial 911 and say:  “Stroke. Spanish interpreter” or “Heart Attack. Spanish interpreter.” Most EMS dispatch centers use a language line that helps them respond to calls in Spanish and other languages.