Paul and Dodie Raczkiewicz

Would You Know The Warning Signs of a Heart Attack? Quick Action Saved One Life.

He can’t remember the week before, when his wife took him for his birthday to go see Frank Sinatra, Jr., or the week after when he was being treated at Des Peres Hospital. But his doctors say local hospital executive Paul Raczkiewicz was fortunate to have pulled through what they considered a massive heart attack.

“He’d had mild tightness in his chest once that he can remember, but it went away” said his wife, Dodie. “Then one night he said the tightness was back and had woken him up, that he had taken an aspirin and gotten dressed -- we both agreed that we should go to the hospital to have it checked out.”

In the few minutes Mrs. Raczkiewicz took to get ready herself, the feeling had subsided. But they got in the car anyway.

They hadn’t driven past their house before Mr. Raczkiewicz collapsed in the passenger seat. Fortunately, Mrs., a former nurse, knew all the right moves – she called 911, then leaned on the horn to alert their house guest for help and began performing CPR until the paramedics arrived.

As in Mr. Raczkiewicz’s case, many heart attacks start slowly, unlike the dramatic portrayals seen on TV. According to the American Heart Association, a person experiencing a heart attack may not even be sure of what is happening. Although chest pain or pressure is the most common symptom of a heart attack, heart attack victims may experience a diversity of symptoms that include:

• Pain, fullness, and/or squeezing sensation of the chest
  Jaw pain, toothache, headache
  Shortness of breath
• Nausea, vomiting, and/or general epigastric (upper middle abdomen) discomfort
• Sweating
• Heartburn and/or indigestion
• Arm pain (more commonly the left arm, but may be either arm)
• Upper back pain
• General malaise (vague feeling of illness)
• No symptoms.  (Approximately one quarter of all heart attacks are silent, without chest pain or new symptoms. Silent heart attacks are especially common among patients with diabetes mellitus)
  

An otherwise healthy man, Mr. Raczkiewicz did not have high blood pressure or a cholesterol problem. He does however, have a family history of sudden cardiac arrest – his father and uncles died prematurely from what were suspected heart attacks.

“Listen to your body. If you develop symptoms, have them evaluated before an emergency situation arises, even if they are transient. If your symptoms are severe -- call 911,” said Mr Raczkiewicz’s cardiologist, Dr. Marc Lewen. “The Raczkiewicz’s were very lucky. Prompt medical attention is potentially life saving -- and in this case clearly was.”

The takeaway? Know and manage your risks for heart disease – get a check up if you haven’t had one lately -- and know the warning signs of a heart attack. But most importantly: Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, have it checked out. Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1.

For more a free brochure on the warning signs of heart attack, treatment and recovery, call 1-888-457-5203.