THE GOLDEN HOUR

The first 60 minutes after a cardiac emergency is called The Golden Hour. It has been shown in clinical trials, that treatment within the first 60 minutes, improves survival following a cardiac emergency. What also matters is the quality of care. The better the emergency care, the better the chances of the patient’s survival. We also know from clinical trials that early invasive intervention with angioplasty has got better outcomes compared to best medical therapy. This means that rushing a patient to the nearest medical facility may not always be the best option. While they can provide excellent primary care, it may not always be sufficiently backed with advanced cardiac critical care such as highly skilled and fully staffed 24/7 cardiac catheter lab, dedicated Cardiac ICU and Coronary Care Unit.

Imagine, two people suffer a cardiac emergency at the same time. The immediate response of their families makes all the difference to the patients. Compare a normal, and often untrained response Vs an ideal response (refer next page). Remember, your response spells the difference between life and death.

EMERGENCY SITUATION HANDLED BY UNTRAINED HANDS (TIME LOST IS LIFE LOST)

Step 1: (10 – 20 mins.)
• Patient encounters a cardiac emergency
• People panic around him
• Do not know how to help the patient
• Calls for an ambulance from any hospital or put patient into private vehicle.[not recommended]

Step 2: (40 – 60 mins.)
• Waits for the ambulance to arrive
• No treatment given till the ambulance arrives
• Patient shifted into the ambulance and taken to a nearby medical facility

Step 3: (60 – 90 mins.)
• On arrival at the hospital, staff enquires about the patient’s condition
• Remember, the information is often given by an untrained attendee of the patient, normally a family member
• Non–Cardiac Medical Facility usually cater to primary medical care, and may not have an advanced cardiac ICU/ICCU facility to treat cardiac emergencies.

Step 4: (60 – 90 mins.)
• The hospital advises the patient to be transferred to a tertiary care facility with advanced ICU/ICCU care
• The patient gets transferred in the same ambulance to a tertiary care hospital

Total time lost: (3 - 4 hrs.)

Result:
• Serious loss of valuable time at each step
• Crosses the Golden Hour for saving a life
• Often the patient is at higher risk of lossing his/her life before arrival at the right hospital
• If saved, the quality of his/her life can be severely affected due to late treatment of the emergency
condition

EMERGENCY SITUATION HANDLED BY TRAINED HANDS*: (TIME SAVED IS LIFE SAVED)

Step 1: (10 - 15 min.)
• Patient encounters a cardiac emergency
• People panic, but call for the right emergency service (Fortis Emergency Number – 96860 96860 )
• Treatment starts with the call itself

Step 2: (10 mins.)*
• Trained Emergency Staff at Fortis interact with the attendee who has called the facility
• Gets him/her to place the patient in recovery position
• Calms down the attendee and guides him/her on the do’s and don’ts of cardiac emergency
• Helps stabilize the patient and treatment starts within the Golden Hour

Step 3: (10 - 15 mins.)*
• While the Fortis Emergency Staff is interacting with the attendee, a Fortis Emergency ambulance is
dispatched from Fortis to the place of emergency
• This facilitates the quick arrival of the ambulance to the point of emergency
• The Fortis Emergency ambulance arrives and a trained intensivist / doctor administers treatment on the spot and shifts the patient into the ambulance

Step 4: (10 mins.)*
• Trained medical team stabilizes the patient with the help of emergency equipment in the Fortis
Emergency ambulance
• Instructs the hospital to be ready to receive the patient, and start the treatment immediately
• The hospital rushes the patient to the ICCU, which is ready with all critical patient information and medications / treatment options
• No time loss. The right treatment is administered

Total time: (30 – 40 mins.)*

Result:
• The right treatment starts at the Golden Hour, when the call is made. Hence treatment starts at the time of call itself
• Intensive care is given to the patient before reaching the hospital
• Once in the hospital, the specialists know the exact condition of the patient and are geared up to administer the correct treatment on arrival
• And importantly, the entire treatment given inside the ambulance is totally free!
• No time lost. Patient gets the best possible treatment

Fortis Emergency Ambulance: Fortis Emergency ambulance is a fully equipped ICU on wheels with all the equipment needed to treat any emergency situation.

a. Defibrillators (for abnormality of cardiac rhythm)
b. ECG
c. Endo-tracheal Intubation (for severe breathing difficulty)
d. Emergency Medication
e. Temporary External Pacing (for complete heart block)
Treatment is administered by well trained emergency physicians, backed by a team of experienced specialists. They are present 24 x 7 for your care and well being.
 

Fortis Emergency Care Call: 96860 96860 - Save a life. Save this number

Fortis ICU, Bannerghatta Road : Fortis ICU team cares for critically ill patients with complex medical disorders as well as post- operative general surgical, solid organ transplant and the intensive care is equipped with the entire spectrum of Emergency facilities to provide the best care in a critical situation:

• A fully equipped ICU
• Each bed supported by a ventilator, defibrillator, cardiac monitor and the entire spectrum of advanced life support equipment
• State-of-the-art critical care equipment, cardiac monitors and a central monitor
• Intra-aortic balloon pumps, temporary pacemakers implantation to restore cardiac rhythm and functions
• C-PAP and BI-PAP machines used to improve lung and cardiac functioning
• Alpha beds for patients with bedsores and those who require long ICU admissions for treatment
• Emergency dialysis facility with well trained staff and CRRT (Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy)/ Plasmapheresis
• Full time and well trained emergency physicians

Now that you know how best to help a patient in a cardiac emergency, do you really want to settle for anything less?

154/9, Bannerghatta Road, Opp. IIM-B, Bangalore - 560076.
Tel: | E-mail: | Website: +91-80-6621 4444 | enquiries@fortishospitals.in | www.fortisbangalore.com 
For enquiries SMS FORTIS  to 58558