First call 911, Then Me!

Carol's Corner

By Carol Fiedler, Parish Nurse

I saw the following article in "Prevention Magazine" and thought it would be worthwhile to pass on to you. As I was reading this, the mail-man was telling Karen about one of the people on his route, who had fallen and hit her head. She had a Lifeline with her that she could have pushed for help, but knew the mailman would be by at about 2:00 and waited on the porch for him to help her. Thank goodness she had a good outcome and the delay didn't cost her her life.

"Message to Mom:
Call 911, Then Me!"

A shocking 64% of people say they would call a loved one before 911 if they had crushing chest pains – the classic sign of a heart attack, notes the British Heart Foundation. 'A delay of just one hour in getting to the emer-gency room could allow more than 39% of your heart muscle to die,' says Richard A. Stein, MD, director of preventive cardiology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. 'The sooner you get there, the better your changes for survival.' Tell your parents to call 911 immediately if they experience chest or unusual shoulder pain or shortness of breath. Even milder symptoms, such as fatigue or slight pressure in the chest, probably deserve a call. 'For many women, warning signs aren't very dramatic,' Stein says.