A survey conducted by BHF shows that more than two thirds of the Britons fearing heart attacks are willing to wait and watch rather than calling an ambulance. The reluctance in calling emergency help have proved to be fatal in UK, where heart diseases are reported to be the biggest killer, often killing at least one in every five minutes especially due to heart attack.
The poll was conducted under the BHF's 'Doubt Kills' campaign aiming at raising awareness of heart attack symptoms and to encourage people to call 999 (ambulance service), when they experience the pain.The survey was supported by the Ambulance Service Association, covering 2,523 people, evidence of which shows that more than 64 percent of the respondents preferred a wait and watch strategy (or) simply call theirs friends, relatives or doctors rather than calling an emergency help.
Evidence also proved that heart attack sufferers wait for an average of 90 minutes before calling an ambulance, resulting in more deaths even before reaching hospitals. Meanwhile, patients given an emergency treatment within one or two hours after the onset of symptoms are twice as likely to survive as those who get first aid after four to six hours of attack.
British Heart Foundation (BHF) plays a leading role in the fight against disease of the heart and circulation apart from funding education, reaching the public and health professionals, providing life-saving cardiac equipment and support for rehabilitation and patient care.
The campaign 'Doubt Kills' is designed for one year until the end of October 2007 projecting heart attack symptoms through billboard posters, press, radio and online advertising and also through some support rendered by celebrities like Carol Vorderman and actor Will Thorp. The Experts suggests 'Every second counts when you're having a heart attack and the quicker you call 999 the greater your chances of survival.'
Source-Medindia
SRI
