Why is the first hour during a heart attack critical?

Answer 1

The short and sweet answer is the longer the muscle goes without oxygen the more likely the damage is irreversible. The doctors want to start treatment to reverse the blockage as soon as possible.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

In the healthcare field we like to use the phrase "Time is Tissue"

Think of a heart attack this way:

1. A clot blocks one of the arteries that supplies blood to the heart. Not only does the heart pump blood to the rest of the body, but it also supplies blood for itself.
2. The heart is a muscle. All muscle needs oxygen to live and work normally. Oxygen is delivered via the blood cells.
3. The clot blocks blood flow to a spot on the heart.
4. Think of the spot like a bullseye... with a center, and areas that surround the center like rings on a bullseye.
5. The muscle begins to die because of lack of oxygen. The area of dead tissue becomes necrotic.
6. As time goes on, that spot will get bigger and grow.
7. If the patient comes to the ER right away... they can treat the patient with medications to thin the blood and allowing the blood flow to get past the clot.
8. As stated earlier, the more time that passes, the larger the zones of dying tissue grow, like rings on a bullseye.
9. The outermost zone, is likely to be saved. Then it can return to normal function with treatment.
10. The next zone, may be unhealthy but it could have a chance to survive with treatment.
11. The innermost zone or center of the bullseye, can become completely necrotic (dead) and will never function.
12. A dead area on the heart is unhealthy and it affects the conduction path of the heart (this is the electric pathway that your heart needs to contract and pump blood).
13. An unhealthy heart can have alot of problems. Sometimes people who have had heart attacks, will develop Heart Failure.

Answer 4

A heart attack occurs when an artery supplying your heart with blood and oxygen becomes blocked. With each passing minute, more heart tissue is deprived of oxygen and sustains permanent damage or dies. It's crucial to restore blood flow within the first hour, when most damage occurs. In the initial minutes, a heart attack can trigger ventricular fibrillation. This unstable heart rhythm produces an ineffective heartbeat, causing insufficient blood flow to vital organs. Without immediate treatment, ventricular fibrillation leads to sudden death.
The faster you act, the higher the chances of survival and the less damage to the heart tissue.

Answer 5

During a heart attack, the oxygen supply to the heart muscle is impaired. Without enough oxygen, the heart muscle fibers begin to die off. The earlier that treatment begins, the less heart muscle has a chance to die. So statistically, if treatment begins in the first hour, the chances of survival are better because more healthy heart muscle remains.

Answer 6

Unless you have had a massive heart attack the blood supply has only been reduced. Muscels including the heart start shutting down from the lack of oxygen. It is approximately, not exactly one hour before there is permanent and irreversable damage to the heart and other organs, i.e brain.pp

Answer 7

Because during an heart attack oxygen is not getting to the heart and the longer the wait the longer the heart muscle goes without oxygen therefore causing ischemia leading to death

Answer 8

if you don't get a good circulation back to the heart then the heart muscle begins to die. heart muscle does not repair its self. so the first hour is critical in preventing that damage

Answer 9

because most people DIE in the first hour of a heart attack. That's why its important to recognize the symptoms and start appropriate treatment.

Answer 10

To prevent further damage to the heart muscle. Once it's damaged it's damaged.