Suspect a heart attack? Call 911, urges Howard County General Hospital

On April 26, 2015, Jimmy Brothers felt like he was getting a cold. He just didn’t feel well but had his daughter’s lacrosse game to coach that day. He took some cold medicine and the family headed out.

On the way home from the game, Brothers felt nauseous and realized he needed help. In his role as chief of emergency medical service operations for Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, Brothers knew the symptoms. He was having a heart attack.

“The elephant had arrived and was sitting on my chest,” Brothers said. “The pain was crushing and shooting down my arm. I was sweating and nauseous.”

If you’re experiencing chest pain and suspect a heart attack like Brothers, Howard County General Hospital has a message for you: call 911 immediately. The hospital is telling Brothers’ story as part of a public-awareness campaign coinciding with American Heart Month this month.

During Brothers’ heart attack, an ambulance crew attached a 12-lead electrocardiogram, which measured his heart rate and wirelessly transmitted readings to Howard County General Hospital in real time. The hospital assembled a cardiac catheterization team before Brothers arrived, saving valuable time and, in turn, heart muscle.

Though Brothers was fit, healthy and only 46 years old, he experienced a “widow-maker” heart attack, which he survived because of his efforts nearly 10 years earlier. Brothers worked with the hospital to bring much of the cardiac technology and protocols to Howard County, the system that saved his life.

“The earlier that lifesaving measures can be initiated, the less time the heart muscle is deprived of blood and oxygen, which causes the heart to work harder possibly leading to dangerous cardiac rhythms as was the case with Jimmy. This is often followed by cardiac arrest,” said Dr. Matthew J. Levy, senior medical officer for Johns Hopkins Emergency Medicine Special Operations.

Levy is also medical director for the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue Services and associate medical director for Johns Hopkins Lifeline, which provides vehicle transportation during medical emergencies.

“If you suspect a heart attack, don’t second-guess yourself. Call 911 immediately,” he said. “The 911 operator will ask questions that will help guide the right resources to you. Take an aspirin if you can. Waiting or driving yourself to the hospital could be the worst decision of your life, literally and figuratively.”

In order to spread this message, Howard County General Hospital is using bus advertising, social media, online video, the hospital website and Wellness Matters, the hospital’s seasonal health publication.

Heart attack signs can include chest and upper body discomfort, shortness of breath, cold sweat, nausea and lightheadedness, according to the American Heart Association. To learn more and hear Brothers’ full story, visit www.hcgh.org/minutesmatter.