TELEVISION HEART ATTACK
Unfortunately heart attacks seen on television programs are not
real everyday heart attacks as seen in community hospital settings.
It is television "drama" and completely gives viewers the wrong
message. Heart Attacks seen on television programs present as dramatic
cardiac arrest situations or collapsing chest pain patients. Yet
despite these end stage presentations, a study was carried out
of such television programs as ER, Chicago Hope and Rescue
911 and the long term survival rate was 67%. This contrasts greatly
with the actual CPR survival rate of 14.7% in the (real) medical
literature.
Thus, television programs not only teach the wrong message but
also readily acknowledge this fact. Neal Baer, MD the writer and
producer of ER is quoted as saying in a recent JAMA article
"that while efforts are made to depict accurate and credible medical
care, the show's dramatic foundation is primary."
Unfortunately this does little for the high mortality seen in the
United States from the heart attack problem. It is estimated that
600,000 Americans each year lose their lives. It is the loss equivalent
of a large metropolitan city such as Baltimore, Maryland. This
shouldn't be. Heart Attack has been the number one killer of the
adult population since 1900 and continues now into the year 2000.
So many Americans do not realize is that heart attack is a preventable
illness even when the heart attack is beginning to take place.
In over 50% of the cases heart attacks have beginning and these
beginnings occur as stuttering chest discomfort presentations for
hours to days that could easily lend themselves to intervention
bringing about the prevention of damage to the heart muscle.
These beginning symptoms of a heart attack are never portrayed
on television programs because they are not dramatic enough
to get the viewers attention. It is a sad commentary but it is
true. One would hope that some day the television programs ER,
Chicago Hope or Rescue 911 would see the value as well as the potential
drama that could result in bringing out this message. Heart attacks
can be cured when sniffed out early. When that day arrives, we
will have maintained a proper balance between capitalism and altruism;
then only heart attacks will be taken out of first place, a lofty
position not well deserved.
Medical students need to learn this message early as seen in the
University of Maryland program on EHAC....... or otherwise
be paralyzed by the entertainment perception derived from present
day television drama as seen in ER, Chicago Hope and Rescue 911.
JAMA
-The Role of the Television Drama ER in Medical Student
Life: Entertainment or Socialization?
Michael M. O'Connor, University of Washington School of Medicine
Introduction to Clinical Practice for First Year Medical Students at
the University of Maryland
Heart Attack Learned at the Bedside
Sir William Osler, Johns Hopkins Medical Institute
Heart Attack Lessons Learned from Patients
in a Coronary Care Unit.
High School Youths Taking Action for
Early Heart Attack Care - A Student Council Resource Guide.
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