Heart attack question

[HelpPlease9]

If an ambulance crew hooks you up to the heart monitor thing with the pads and says you're not having a heart attack.. are you definitely not having/had a heart attack?

Stupid question I'm well aware. He started with unable to breath, then struggling breath with sound I've never heard before. Then the chest, arm, jaw pain. Paramedic on scene seemed certain heart attack, was calling ambulance crew saying hurry up, potential heart attack.

About 15-30 minutes before Ambulance crew eventually came, did trace thing, said nothing looks bad. Said was probably a panic attack, told him to calm down. Then took him off in ambulance.

Would the pad things pick up heart attack after it's passed?

Looking for any idea what's going on while I wait in limbo.

I imagine it was an ECG. No point in me saying try not to worry, it will be impossible not to. They will do lots of other tests in hospital. I hope you have some news soon

www.nhs.uk/conditions/heart-attack/diagnosis/

They could detect that you are not currently having a heart attack, but not if you had recently had one. My DP had a heart attack in January which was diagnosed by a blood test. This should be done at the hospital given the symptoms that you describe.

Thank you

Said was probably a panic attack, told him to calm down. Then took him off in ambulance.

This is the bit that tells you they’re not so sure as they tried to make out ...if they really thought it was a panic attack they probably wouldn’t have taken ‘him’ off in the ambulance.

The ECG could look normal(ish) or so abnormal anyone could spot something wasn’t right. Depends slightly on things like whether they monitored through defib pads/3 stickers/12 stickers / whether the patient was still having symptoms at the time. It’s often barn door obvious, but not always. Either way, with a good history (which it sounds like ‘he’ had), further assessment is needed.

Sounds like you did the right thing calling for help. Hope it all turns out well & you get some news soon.

if you mean the Defib, then no it wouldn't. it would just trace the rhythm at that time.

An ECG would have been done immediately on entering the hospital or even in the ambulance which would have shown if he had had a heart attack or not.

hope all is well.

Thank you. Anyone know when I can call the hospital to see what's going on? Or will they call me? I'm the only family member/emergency contact.
Does it have to be after a certain time in the morning? I've been searching and can't find anything online.

UK paramedic -
Somd heart attacks show on ECG, some don't.
The ECG showing "St elevation" (and other morphologies in some areas) means we can refer to a specialist centre. A "normal" ECG doesn't rule out heart attack though.
Blood tests (troponin or similar) are considered the definitive way to actually tell, and they are done in A+E
In the absence of ECG changes, the ambulance crew will be making their working diagnosis on the base of the history, medical history and a whole heap of other stuff.
Without being there I can't judge their rationale but the hospital will most likely repeat everything, do the blood test, and monitor.
(though studies are underway looking at if from clinical history you can accurately predict what the blood test will say)

@HelpPlease9 have you had any news? I hope he is ok

As PP have said my husbands ecg didn't show heart attack... Blood results did much later at hospital. Paramedics took him in as obviously something going on and he needed lots of pain relief in resuss.
Horrible experience but staff were lovely.
I wish you both luck and hope you get some positive news soon.

How is he op?

The majority of heart attacks shows on ECG, but a significant majority do not, these heart attacks need a cardiac enzyme blood test to diagnose (therefore hospital) or some will show on ECG later. Also if his pain had fully resolved whilst he may not be suffering from a heart attack, he could be suffering from angina, which can be a warning of an impending heart attack. Therefore requiring investigations (and a trip to hospital).

There are also plenty of non cardiac causes of chest pain, ranging from life threatening (pulmonary embolism, aortic aneurysm) to annoying and painful but insignificant like costochondritis. Thus ambulance service guidelines are generally for all patients presenting with non traumatic chest pain to attend hospital.

Even panic attacks which are generally caused by anxiety issues need investigating if they are new thing in order to rule out any underlying medical cause, and UK ambulance guidelines (jrcalc) states this, but it is not always followed.

Hope he’s ok op.

April last year I had 4 days on and off chest and throat discomfort, the Sunday night it didn’t go off. Called an ambulance and the paramedic said all obs fine, didn’t think anything wrong. A 12-lead ecg said otherwise (12 stickers attached to leads) and I was actually having a massive heart attack. I was blue lighted straight to a Cath lab. When I got there they put pads on (2 large ones) and they were basically for if I went into cardiac arrest (heart not beating normally). Mine was an ST-elevation heart attack, which means it shows fairly obviously (or in your face bold like mine!) on a 12 lead ecg. The ST means there’s a complete blockage in an artery.

There are non-ST elevation heart attack which mean the artery isn’t yet completely blocked but is constricted enough to start causing problems. I went on to have this in the other artery whilst waiting for treatment on it.

My nickname is Lucky.

Hope he’s ok

My Dad's heartattack didn't show on the ECG, but like your DH he was taken to hospital 'just in case'. They will do bloods etc and have more clarity later I'm sure.