Navi Mumbai: It was a regular workday for Vijay Kumar Hinger, 54, he bid his wife and sons goodbye and left for work. Upon reaching the office, he felt a sudden discomfort and started sweating profusely. He quickly dialled his cousin for help, who rushed him to Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi. However, Hinger’s heart stopped beating when he was minutes away from the hospital’s gates.
His cousin didn't lose hope, drove into the hospital and called for assistance. A team of emergency medical personnel swiftly arrived, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and used an automated external defibrillator machine to deliver electric shocks to restore Hinger's heartbeat. The timely intervention gave him a new lease of life. Dr Prashant Pawar, consultant-interventional cardiology, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, said that the patient had suffered acute myocardial infarction; a heart attack in layman's term.
In a strange turn of events, Hinger encountered the life-threatening issue just months after his wife, who survived a stroke in February. The man's quick highlights the importance of recognising warning signs and taking prompt action. “I would urge people not to ignore signs of uneasiness or discomfort and consult specialists at a well-equipped hospital. The quick administration of CPR followed by defibrillation brought me back from the jaws of death,” said Hinger.
Recalling the treatment, Dr Pawar said, “Immediately after the CPR, we wheeled him to the catheterization lab and did an angiography that showed his left main coronary artery was blocked.” This is a dreaded complication and has to be tended to at the earliest hence an angioplasty was immediately done, said the doctor.
He continued, “A heart attack can happen to anyone. Hinger was a vegetarian and a non-smoker. It was only after we treated him that a vitamin B12 deficiency was discovered. This is common in vegetarians and can lead to clotting tendencies, resulting in heart attack.”
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Giving tips to manage such a critical situation, Dr Pawar said, “They should call someone for help and not exert themselves. They can take medications like disprin 325 mg, clopidogrel 75 mgx4 tablets and atorvastatin 80 mg. It is important that the patient is taken to a hospital at the earliest.”