Driving a Heart Attack Victim to the ER

Is it okay to drive someone to the Emergency Room if he or she is having heart attack symptoms? That can be faster than waiting for an ambulance, and time is critical with heart attacks. 

Dr. Mark Says:

Even if you are very close to a hospital, it is always better to cal 9-1-1 for a person with heart attack symptoms. That’s because ambulances are equipped to notify the hospital to prepare for an incoming heart patient. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are also trained to start treatment and send the heart patient’s vital signs to the Emergency team waiting at the hospital.

A heart attack patient should never drive him- or herself, of course, but driving is also dangerous for a neighbor or family member under the stress of a medical emergency. It’s best to leave it up to the professionals.

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