Heart attack first aid: what to do and what to ignore

Heart attack: from 112 to the magnet scam

A heart attack cannot be cured with magnets or vitamin C. In the corners of the internet, protocols circulate that promise to dissolve clots with the earth's electrons or with the negative pole of a magnet, preferably located with a compass. The theory is presented with staggering confidence, but it lacks evidence and, most seriously, delays the medical attention that decides between life and death.

Unproven remedies that can cost a life

The idea of burying the patient in damp grass so that the electrons in the soil repel the clot is not an isolated case. Among the most outlandish suggestions are choreographies like the macarena or the use of maracas to scare away spirits. They sound like jokes, but in a real emergency no one should waste time with a compass to position a magnet while the heart stops pumping.

The reference to vitamin C deficiency as a cause of arterial rupture is a dangerous oversimplification. Although that deficiency can weaken blood vessels, it does not turn angustia acid into an emergency treatment. Professionals who have attended hundreds of cardiac arrests sum it up without nuance: no basis whatsoever.

What emergency medicine says

The correct protocol is boring and well known: call 112, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if the person is not breathing, and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if one is available. Every minute counts; survival rates plummet without these measures.

The next time someone shares a miracle remedy, it is worth asking whether it survives a minute of scrutiny. The pessimistic prediction: these theories will keep circulating because they are flashier than "call 112 and start compressions." But the heart knows nothing about trends.