Acting in time in a heart attack is key to reducing damage

The person responsible for the Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology Unit of the University of Navarra Clinicthe doctor Rafael Ruiz Salmeronhas highlighted that acting in time when faced with myocardial infarction It is “key” to reducing damage to cardiac tissue, since every minute of delay increases deterioration and the risk of complications.

“Timely action is key to reducing myocardial damage and preserving left ventricular function in the long term. When this does not happen, increases the risk of death associated with the heart attack and, if you survive, there is a deterioration in the function of the heart that leads to heart failure,” stated Ruiz Salmerón.

“In a heart attack, time is muscle. For every minute that passes, part of the heart tissue may be damaged irreversibly. Our objective with 24-hour on-call, every day of the year in the Hemodynamics and Interventional Cardiology Unit is open the blocked artery in less than 90 minutes from the first medical contact,” explained the interventional cardiologist at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Dr. Rodrigo Teijeiro.

In this sense, he has detailed that the availability of cardiologists, hemodynamicists and specialized nursing allows treating myocardial infarction through primary angioplasty, the recommended technique to open the obstructed coronary artery and restore blood flow as soon as possible, all after the activation of a coordinated urgent care protocol.

“This organizational model allows primary angioplasty to be performed within the times established by international quality standards, which are essential to improve the patient’s prognosis,” the Clinic stated.