A new study reveals the surprising turn of events in cardiology cases. Hospitals are treating patients coming with heart attack within 90 minutes of arrival. There are cases when the patient was attended to within 26 minutes and even 16 minutes. Heart attack or a cardiac arrest occurs when the blood supply to the heart is arrested and therefore the heart does not receive oxygen.
Just about half a decade ago the statistics were different. Today the time lapse has reduced and the numbers of patients, who are speedily attended to, are almost double. In 2005, the average time taken to treat a heart patient brought to the hospital was 96 minutes, which improved to just an hour last year. There have been many cases who have received treatment within the first 30 minutes.
According to Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a leading Yale cardiologist, the recent study is solacing. It offers confidence that patients are going to be treated rapidly without any waste of time in almost every hospital in America reducing the chances of mortality too. What is even more encouraging is that, this speedy service of treatment is offered without any threat of law or punishment or extra incentives.
Researches conducted on methods and results of early treatment, with combined effort from both the government and a number of private organisations, led to more hospitals taking initiatives.