Golden hour crucial to heart patients at Ramesh Hospitals

Vijayawada: Ninety per cent of the 75-lakh people who die of cardio-vascular diseases every year, lose their lives due to delay in receiving treatment in 'Golden Hour'. Most people neglect pain assuming it as gastric problem, said Dr P Ramesh Babu, MD and chief cardiologist of Ramesh Hospitals.

Addressing media here on Saturday, Dr Ramesh said by the time the patient reaches the hospital, the heart would be damaged beyond repair. In the first hour of pain discomfort in the chest, if the patient reaches the hospital, life can be saved, he said and added in some cases, the ST elevation of ECG does not show any changes in the heart.

This condition is known as 'Wellens Syndrome' in medical terminology, he stated and added this can be diagnosed only by expert cardiologists. Even though there is major damage to the heart, due to Wellens syndrome, ECG and other tests may not indicate the problem, said the doctor.

For patients with this syndrome, there is a chance of having major block in LAD (Left Anterior Descending) artery. If this is not diagnosed, it would be fatal. He was referring the case of senior journalist P Krishnaji, who suffered pain in the chest at midnight and thought it was gastric problem.

Luckily, he reached the hospital in 'Golden Hour'. On diagnosing the ECG and Cardiogram showed changes in the heart which indicated Wellens syndrome and he underwent angiogram procedure and it was found that most important blood vessel carrying oxygen to the heart was blocked, he said.