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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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How Long Can A Heart Attack Last?

How long can a heart attack last? My dad just had severe chest pain on the opposite side of his heart with shortness of breath...then it went away maybe 5-10 minutes it lasted. I checked his pulse...it seemed in the normal range and listened to his heart...it had normal rate and rhythm I think....I am way over my head with this. He did not feel an ambulance would be necessary. How do I know when it might be bad enough to call an ambulance? ...maybe it was pulled muscle? hernia? what if I ignore it at the wrong time?
Tue, 11 Feb 2014
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Cardiologist 's  Response
Hi, I read your query.

The pain typical for heart attack (myocardial infarction) as a rule last more than 30 minutes. However the pain that last 5-10 minutes may be a warning sign for myocardial infarction.

So i suggest to call the ambulance and to go to the ER.

I recomend to perform the following exams in order to evaluate his cardiac status:
- ECG
- ECHO
- Stress test
- Holter monitoring

Hope it was of help!
Dr. Benard
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How Long Can A Heart Attack Last?

Hi, I read your query. The pain typical for heart attack (myocardial infarction) as a rule last more than 30 minutes. However the pain that last 5-10 minutes may be a warning sign for myocardial infarction. So i suggest to call the ambulance and to go to the ER. I recomend to perform the following exams in order to evaluate his cardiac status: - ECG - ECHO - Stress test - Holter monitoring Hope it was of help! Dr. Benard