Results are in on "ground-breaking" heart attack study

5 years ago

OSHAWA -- New research that involved local patients and an Oshawa cardiologist is challenging the first line of defence against heart attacks.

Dr. Rakesh Bhargava, a staff cardiologist at Lakeridge Health Oshawa, was the principle investigator for a recent Canada-wide study that looked at the best course of treatment for heart attack patients.

For hospitals like Oshawa's that don't have a cardiac catheterization lab, the first step is usually to administer clot-busting drugs that break down the problematic blood clot.

Patients are only sent for a balloon angioplasty if the clot medicine doesn't do its job and they are still experiencing chest pains later on or if doctors see problems on a follow-up cardiogram.

But the new study reveals the risk of death or another heart attack within 30 days can be cut by 46 per cent, if patients are given the clot-busting drug, then sent for an immediate angioplasty.

"This is a ground-breaking study," said Dr. Bhargava, who is also director of the Heart Care Research and Cardiac Rehab program in Oshawa. "It is important for the 'have not' hospitals like Oshawa, that don't have these angioplasty centres. If the patient can have the clot-busting drug and then be sent within four to six hours to a hospital where a lab is available, that is the best treatment." There are no hospitals in Durham Region with cardiac catheterization labs, meaning patients would likely be sent to Toronto.

Dr. Bhargava said the next step is to work with local hospital staff and those in Toronto to establish protocols that would ensure Durham heart attack patients get to Toronto in time for the angioplasty to make a difference.

Source: Jillian Follert

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