Sayan Roy (name changed) in his early forties was taken to Manipal Hospital with complaints of chest discomfort lasting more than an hour and very low blood pressure. He had hypertension for two years and had a fatty liver, but he was not diabetic. In only 29 minutes, a skilled team lead by Dr. Rana Serbjeet Singh, Consultant Cardiologist, Manipal Hospital Salt Lake, Kolkata, intervened and saved his life. 

On a typical day, Roy dropped his daughter off at school and went to work, where he felt unconscious. His senses returned after a few minutes, and his colleagues rushed him to Manipal Hospital. Roy, it appears, had a family history of heart illness and had lost both his grandparents and father to heart attacks. He had also been experiencing chest discomfort for the preceding few days, which he had ignored and may have been fatal if not treated promptly.  

When he arrived at the hospital, his blood pressure was not quantifiable, and his pulse rate was 30 due to acute hypoxia (a state of inadequate oxygen). Initially, fluids were supplied to restore his blood pressure, and his ECG was performed without delay. The ECG indicated a hyperacute heart attack or myocadiac infraction of the heart’s bottom wall. He may have died of cardiac collapse if the obstruction had not been removed quickly. 

The cardiac team was immediately activated, and he was sent to the Cath lab for an angiography, which revealed a completely clogged right artery, which was the primary cause of the heart attack.  

Dr. Rana Serbjeet Singh, Consultant Cardiologist, said, “We performed angioplasty in just 12 minutes to save his life.” I would warn against disregarding any symptom of chest discomfort that might lead to death. Dr. Singh noted that an early action by our team saved the patient’s life and that we had covered all of the fatal possibilities with medicines. 

Roy stayed in ICU for 24 hours as the pain lessened but he still had hypoxia. He was given medication and sent to a regular ward, where he walked well to his house after two days. He is on medicine but will be able to return to work in a week. After a month, an angiography will be done, and therapy for additional regions of the heart will be administered based on the test results.