Community Urged to “Survive, Don’t Drive”

From Our Lady of the Lake

Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center is launching a community awareness campaign to help address a national health care issue.  “Survive, Don’t Drive” urges Louisiana residents to call 911 when experiencing chest pain or other heart attack symptoms rather than attempt to drive themselves or be driven to the hospital.

The campaign will include community education messages on television, billboards and in print.  The public service announcement demonstrates the benefits of dialing of 911 and the process from ambulance to treatment.

“When it comes to surviving a heart attack, every second counts,” said Dr. Bryan Hathorn, director of The Chest Pain Center at Our Lady of the Lake Heart & Vascular Institute. “The longer the heart is deprived of oxygen, the more muscle is lost.” 

By calling 911, treatment can begin as soon as paramedics arrive on the scene, saving critical time. Advanced notice and important patient information is relayed to the hospital, where trained doctors and nurses can prepare for the patient’s arrival.  This results in faster treatment for patients who are brought by ambulance over patients who drive themselves because diagnostic tests were able to be performed earlier in the field.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 720,000 Americans have a heart attack each year and about 30 percent result in death, largely because they did not receive treatment on time.  In 2013, 36 percent of patients suffering a heart attack arrived at Our Lady of the Lake by private vehicle.  On average, their treatment times were 20 minutes slower than those who arrived by ambulance. 

“If you experience or witness someone having these symptoms, put down the car keys and pick up the phone,” said Dr. Hathorn. “Remember, it’s not how fast a heart attack patient gets to the hospital that is important, but rather how quickly treatment begins.”

For more information about Survive, Don’t Drive and Our Lady of the Lake Heart & Vascular Institute, visit ololrmc.com/heart.