The actor had signs of a heart attack, but it was atypical -- a condition that wasn't recognized in time.
When John Ritter arrived at the hospital Sept. 11, 2003, he was nauseated and vomiting, and he felt a dull tightening in his chest. Doctors ordered an EKG, which proved inconclusive. But an hour or so later, Ritter's chest tightness was worse, and a second EKG was more dire. Besides, his blood pressure had gone down, his heart rate had gone up, and he seemed to be developing congestion in his lungs.
