Pre-hospital emergency care is crucial for people who have had a heart attack or stroke.

For those who have suffered a heart attack, the typical symptom is chest pain or tightness. However, many patients will only experience vague symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, jaw stiffness, shoulder pain, back pain, abdominal pain, epigastric pain, and abdominal pain…

Even some cases of silent myocardial infarction have no symptoms and require specialized investigations for timely treatment. If blood flow is not restored quickly, an acute myocardial infarction can cause permanent damage to the heart muscle and lead to death.

When a patient shows signs of stroke or heart attack, family members should quickly contact the emergency hotline 115 or the hospital so that a specialized team can come to the patient's home to take them to the emergency room.

It is advisable to contact a medical facility capable of administering intravenous thrombolysis and thrombectomy, avoiding places that lack the necessary equipment as this will waste valuable emergency time.

While waiting for medical personnel, stroke victims should have their clothing and accessories loosened and be placed in a 30-45 degree side-lying position to rest.

Afterward, you can instruct the patient to breathe slowly and evenly, or wrap a clean cloth around your finger to remove phlegm and mucus from the throat if the patient shows signs of wheezing and increased mucus production.

Never attempt to feed or give the patient anything on your own, as this can easily cause choking. If the patient stops breathing and loses consciousness, their heart may have stopped beating, so perform external chest compressions.

In the case of a patient who has suffered a myocardial infarction and is unconscious, external chest compressions should be performed by kneeling on the left side, placing both hands on top of each other in front of the chest between the sternum, then applying sufficient force to compress down to about 2/3 the depth of the chest (about 3-5 cm), and then releasing the pressure.

After every 15 chest compressions, perform 2 breaths. Repeat this action continuously at 100-120 times per minute until the ambulance arrives. Proper chest compressions and artificial respiration are crucial for saving the patient's life while waiting for medical personnel to arrive.

According to MSc. Vo Anh Minh, Deputy Head of the Interventional Cardiology Department at Tam Anh General Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, for patients with myocardial infarction, every minute of delay reduces their chances of survival by 10%.

Proper and timely emergency care helps preserve a patient's vital functions until they can access professional medical services.

Patients will survive or suffer minimal long-term consequences if first aid is administered promptly and correctly. Therefore, time is of the essence in first aid; it is the patient's life.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Health , Vietnam has approximately 200,000 stroke cases each year, but only 33% of cases reach the hospital within the first 6 hours. Of these, only 14% of patients admitted to the emergency room receive reperfusion therapy or intravenous thrombolytic therapy, or arterial implantation.

In July 2024, the Emergency Department of this hospital received an average of 100-110 emergency cases per day, many of which were myocardial infarction and stroke.

Dr. Hong Van In, Deputy Head of the Emergency Department of the hospital, said that in reality, many cases are brought to the hospital late, missing the "golden hour," partly due to geographical factors (being far from medical facilities) or a lack of basic first aid knowledge.

According to the Ministry of Health's comprehensive report on the planning of the healthcare network for the period 2021-2030 and vision to 2050, some provinces have a distance of 4-5 hours by car to the nearest central-level hospital, while others require 10-11 hours. Therefore, on-site emergency care is extremely necessary, increasing the chances of survival for patients.

In Ho Chi Minh City, the 115 emergency network has 41 satellite emergency stations located at hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City and Thu Duc City, equipped with modern ambulances and fully equipped with machinery and highly qualified personnel, ready to provide on-site first aid and home emergency care with professional quality equivalent to that of hospitals in many situations;

In particular, home-based stroke emergency care is an option for patients who have difficulty traveling or live far from hospitals, aiming to maximize the precious "golden hour" during this critical situation.

Developing an out-of-hospital emergency care system enables patients to access medical care quickly, helping to reduce the severity of injuries and the risk of death, especially in cases of dangerous and rapidly progressing illnesses. This, in turn, reduces the burden of disease and financial strain.

According to Dr. Hong Van In, to achieve effective results, it is necessary to develop both the first aid skills of the people and the pre-hospital emergency care system of medical facilities.

Effective pre-hospital emergency care must ensure two factors: timeliness and proper delivery. Patients transported by ambulance can receive necessary diagnostic procedures and emergency treatment in the ambulance, while information is simultaneously transmitted to the hospital, allowing for prior preparation and increasing the chances of survival.

Myocardial infarction progresses rapidly, so emergency care is crucial for the patient's survival, helping to maintain a certain level of circulation to adequately supply organs such as the brain, preventing excessive damage and severe sequelae.

Heart attacks and strokes can be fatal if not treated promptly. Mastering basic first aid techniques and contacting medical facilities early will significantly improve patients' chances of survival.