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Survive, don't drive: Why calling 911 is the critical link in heart attack survival
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BATON ROUGE — As American Heart Month brings cardiovascular health to the forefront, the message from local medical leaders is urgent and clear.
If you or a loved one suspects a heart attack is occurring, the most dangerous decision you can make is getting behind the wheel.
Dr. Lance LaMotte, the Chief of Cardiology at Baton Rouge General Hospital, is spearheading a simple yet life-saving campaign: "Survive. Don’t drive."
The primary danger of driving yourself is the lack of medical care during the journey.
Dr. LaMotte warns that those precious minutes spent in a car are minutes in which a patient's condition can rapidly deteriorate without any safety net. If a patient is in an ambulance, they are under the care of trained personnel equipped to handle sudden emergencies, such as the heart stopping entirely. Dr. LaMotte describes an ambulance not merely as a ride, but as a mobile hospital unit that offers protection and stabilization.
Beyond the immediate medical care provided by paramedics, the call to 911 initiates a sophisticated "heads-up" system for the hospital. When first responders perform an EKG in the field, they transmit that data directly to the hospital. This notification alerts a specialized team, including the cardiologist, the catheterization lab staff and emergency room personnel who wait in anticipation of the patient’s arrival.
This coordination is vital for meeting the "door-to-balloon time," a critical metric that measures the duration from when a patient enters the hospital to when their clogged artery is surgically opened. While the national benchmark for this procedure is 90 minutes, Baton Rouge General's average is less than half that time: 43 minutes.
That requires the patient to arrive via EMS. By calling for professional help, patients ensure that the hospital's life-saving machinery is already in motion before they even cross the threshold. For those experiencing a cardiac event, the choice to call 911 rather than reach for the car keys is the single most important factor in ensuring they survive the trip.
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