Heart disease… does not always send signals. Sometimes, people who appear healthy, exercise regularly, and have no risky behaviors may face unexpected events in just a split second. This was the case with Mr. Weerawat Wongwithurawit, who had always been healthy. But one day, while playing football as usual, he suddenly lost consciousness in front of everyone on the field without any prior symptoms.
“Suddenly losing consciousness” – A family caught off guard
Mrs. Kamonwan Choomphueng, wife of Mr. Weerawat, recalls the moment she received the news.
At that time, I was at home. Then his brother called to say he lost consciousness on the football field. I was very shocked. When he arrived at Phyathai Nawamin Hospital, he came by ambulance. His brother said the hospital accepted the case quickly and took him straight to the operating room without delay.
The seemingly rapid event from the family’s perspective was due to precise coordination between the scene, the rescue unit, and the hospital, with ECG data transmitted through the emergency medical team’s internal communication system for immediate assessment.
When the heart starts to beat irregularly… but the medical team refuses to let go
Dr. Supachai Rojkajornnapalai, a cardiologist, said the transmitted data helped make a quick decision.
The ECG from the football field indicated acute myocardial ischemia. At that moment, we immediately decided to prepare the emergency cardiac catheterization lab.
When the patient arrived, the hospital performed cardiac catheterization immediately and found two coronary arteries narrowed and one completely blocked by a blood clot. During balloon angioplasty to open the arteries, the patient’s heart developed severe arrhythmia, requiring multiple electric shocks.
Throughout the process, the patient’s heart stopped intermittently and required more than 10 electric shocks. Our team performed balloon angioplasty simultaneously with resuscitation, which required readiness from the medical team, nurses, and equipment.
Voices from the patient… still remembering the medical team’s efforts
Even in an emergency situation, Mr. Weerawat remained conscious during treatment, and what he felt then is still clear to him today.
I was conscious at times. In the operating room, I saw Dr. Supachai very active. If any nurse or assistant was slow, the doctor would scold them because it was a real emergency case. I knew they were trying their best to bring me back.
“Never thought he would have this disease” – When external strength is not the measure
Although her husband had always appeared healthy, Mrs. Kamonwan said this event completely changed her perspective.
He doesn’t drink alcohol, doesn’t smoke, and exercises regularly. He had no symptoms at all, so we never thought it would be heart disease. But after experiencing it ourselves, we realized heart disease is close to everyone. I want everyone to get health check-ups early to catch it in time.
The success of this case… came from a seamlessly working system
Dr. Waranuch Junphuengprakiet, a cardiologist, further explained the background of the treatment.
Rapid resuscitation and efficient coordination of patient transfer allowed us to start treatment immediately. Phyathai Nawamin Hospital has a specialized medical team and equipment ready to continuously care for emergency cardiac patients, which is the key to treatment within such a limited time.
The heart… is life, and every life is always important to us
At Phyathai Nawamin Hospital, we believe that health care is not just about treating diseases but about caring for the “person” holistically, both physically and emotionally. Every second in an emergency, our team is ready to provide care with rapid medical standards. At the same time, we always prioritize listening to and understanding the feelings of patients and their families. We believe good care means walking alongside each other throughout the treatment journey, not just on the days of illness.
If you start to feel any signals from your body or even just want a check-up for peace of mind, we are ready to care for you with medical knowledge and heartfelt understanding. Because we believe that “prevention” begins with “care.”