Questionnaire
Detecting an Early Heart Attack

If you are not sure that you are having a heart attack and you need to know more, try answering these questions:

1.	Are you or another person having discomfort in the middle of your chest? (If severe chest pain, go immediately to the hospital)	Yes		No
2.	Are you or another person having any of the following chest discomfort symptoms: Fullness within the chest, burning within the chest, aching within the chest, tightness within the chest or similar type symptom?	Yes		No
3.	Do these chest discomfort symptoms come and go? (If prolonged chest discomfort that is getting worse, go immediately to the nearest emergency room)	Yes		No
4.	Are your or another person's chest discomfort symptoms worse with activity and disappear when you rest?	Yes		No
5.	Are you or another person reluctant to tell someone of these symptoms?	Yes		No
6.	Are you or another person reluctant to call because you think the mild symptoms do not warrant doing so? *This is a normal response but unfortunately it is wrong. It could cost a life! It is your time to act decisively.	Yes		No
7.	Do you or another person have any of these other associated symptoms: Discomfort that goes from the chest to your left arm or to your jaw, clammy perspiration, shortness of breath, nausea or dizziness?	Yes		No
8.	If you or another person carry nitroglycerin, does the nitroglycerin seem to take away the discomfort within 5 minutes? (If having severe chest discomfort and not responding to nitroglycerin, go immediately to the nearest emergency room)	Yes		No

If the answer is yes to most of these questions, get these symptoms checked out immediately at the nearest hospital's Emergency Room or Chest Pain Center. It is better to be safe than sorry.

 

Action Step 1.	LEARN to detect a heart attack that is beginning. A. Learn the beginning symptoms of a heart attack. B. Answer the questionnaire. C. Make the pledge to help. DEPUTY EARLY CARDIAC CARE GIVER'S OATH I hereby solemnly swear that when a person in my presence is experiencing the early symptoms of a heart attack, I will make every effort to get this person to go to the nearest hospital emergency room to get those symptoms checked out.
Action Step 2.	ACT to interrupt the heart attack process by going quickly to be checked out at the nearest Chest Pain Center or Emergency Room.
Action Step 3.	ACT to save another by staying with the person and be a care giver when it counts A. Learn the "Act Wisely" intervention technique* B. Identify the most critical issue (MCI) preventing the patient checking out the chest discomfort symptoms C.   Act to diffuse this resistance by creatively making it less important than one's health *   Act Wisely Intervention A Acknowledge the problem C Be Calm T   Be Tenacious W Be Willing to Give your Time I Be Influential S Keep It Simple L Be Empathetic E Link the patient with early symptoms to the hospital Y Yes, I will spend the time and help this individual out.

1. Beware of Early Chest Symptoms of a Heart Attack

In general, when a patient starts to have discomfort anywhere within their body, they respond by lying down, resting and taking two aspirins to see if it goes away. This rule should not apply in patients with chest symptoms in that this could be a dangerous mistake.

2. Most Heart Attacks start out with chest symptoms, Chest symptoms can present in two ways:

(a) as an abrupt severe chest pain that stays with you, usually described as a mack truck or an elephant sitting on your chest making you very weak to respond. It is often associated with cold perspiration, shortness of breath and nausea. Radiation of the pain to the left arm or jaw may take place.

When these symptoms occur, it is important to act immediately and call 911 and get to the nearest hospital Emergency Room or Chest Pain Center.

(b) But more importantly Heart Attacks present as chest discomfort that is not perceived as chest pain. Perception here is very important. Individuals have a tendency to ignore these symptoms and place the problem on the back burner. Answering questions from the Heart Alert Unit will allow you to see if whether or not such symptoms are important enough to be checked out immediately. It is probably even more important to check out these symptoms before time delay allows the severe chest pain to set in. Responding here may actually prevent or interrupt the process of a heart attack from taking place (Heart Attack Interruptus). This EHAC Moment does not last long and cannot wait putting it off.