This guide describes ambulances in general. What the ambulance for your trip carries, and who travels with the patient, is confirmed by our dispatcher before you book.
A cardiac ambulance does not treat a heart attack on its own. It watches the heart, steadies the patient and moves them quickly to a hospital that can treat it. The equipment exists for those three jobs.
This is a general guide. It describes what heart-patient transport usually needs, not the vehicles of any one provider. For a transfer with us, tell the dispatcher what the doctor advised and we match the ICU ambulance.
Equipment that watches the heart
- ECG (electrocardiogram). Records the heart’s electrical signal. A 12-lead ECG gives the clearest picture and can be sent ahead to the hospital.
- Continuous monitor. Heart rate, blood pressure and blood oxygen on one screen, checked throughout the trip.
Equipment that restores a rhythm
- Defibrillator. Gives a shock if the heart goes into a dangerous rhythm. Automated models (AED) guide the user step by step. Manual models are used by trained advanced crews.
Equipment that supports breathing
- Oxygen with masks and tubing, as the doctor advises.
- Suction and airway tools, kept within reach of the head end.
- A bag-valve-mask to breathe for a patient who cannot.
Drips and medicines
Some crews can give medicines through a drip, for example for pain or heart rhythm, within their training and the doctor’s orders. Whether a given ambulance has this depends on the provider and the crew, so ask.
The vehicle itself
- A stretcher that can be raised to a sitting angle for patients who cannot lie flat
- Secure fixing for the monitor and oxygen cylinders
- Good lighting and space to work around the patient
What an ambulance cannot do
It cannot replace the hospital. Treatments that open a blocked artery need a hospital with a cardiac unit. The ambulance’s job is to get the patient there stable and with the hospital warned. See what happens when an ambulance checks for a heart attack.
Questions to ask a provider
- Is there a monitor with ECG, and a defibrillator?
- Who travels with the patient, and what is their training? (crew training guide)
- Can the ambulance reach the hospital the doctor chose?
- What is the full fare, told before the vehicle leaves?
If someone may be having a heart attack now, read when to call an ambulance and call at once.
Call 01919-339689 any time. A dispatcher answers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
