The longer a high-risk heart attack patient has to wait between first contact with a medic and hospital treatment, the less chance there is of survival, new research suggests.
Every minute counts when it comes to treatment, heart experts said, following a study of more than 12,000 patients over a 10-year period.
Patients who have had part of their heart muscle die due to lack of blood supply, who then have a cardiogenic shock - when the heart suddenly cannot pump enough blood - are more likely to survive if they get balloon insertion treatment quickly, scientists said.
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