A heart attack (also called acute myocardial infarction, or AMI) happens when the arteries leading to the heart become blocked and the blood supply is slowed or stopped. The measures below show some of the standards of care provided, if they are appropriate, for most adults who have had a heart attack; higher percentages are better.
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Key Interventions for Heart Attack |
El Camino Hospital
Oct-Dec 2012 |
Average for all reporting hospitals in the U.S. |
|
Percent of patients who received aspirin at arrival |
100% |
99% |
| Percent of patients who received aspirin at discharge |
100% |
99% |
| Percent of patients who received ACE inhibitor/ARB for appropriate patients |
100% |
96% |
| Percent of patients who received Beta Blocker at discharge |
100% |
98% |
| Percent of patients who received PCI within 90 minutes of arrival |
100% |
91% |
Percent of Heart Attack Patients Given Aspirin at Arrival
The heart is a muscle that gets oxygen through blood vessels. Sometimes blood clots can block these blood vessels, and the heart can't get enough oxygen. This can cause a heart attack. Chewing an aspirin as soon as symptoms of a heart attack begin may help reduce the severity of the attack. This chart shows the percent of heart attack patients who were given (or took) aspirin within 24 hours of arrival at the hospital.
Percent of Heart Attack Patients Given Aspirin at Discharge
Blood clots can block blood vessels. Aspirin can help prevent blood clots from forming or help dissolve blood clots that have formed. Following a heart attack, continued use of aspirin may help reduce the risk of another heart attack. Aspirin can have side effects like stomach inflammation, bleeding or allergic reactions. Talk to your health care provider before using aspirin on a regular basis to make sure it's safe for you.
Percent of Heart Attack Patients Given ACE Inhibitor or ARB for Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction (LVSD)
ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) are medicines used to treat patients with heart failure and are particularly beneficial in those patients with heart failure and decreased function of the left side of the heart. Early treatment with ACE inhibitors and ARBs in patients who have heart failure symptoms or decreased heart function after a heart attack can also reduce their risk of death from future heart attacks. ACE inhibitors and ARBs work by limiting the effects of a hormone that narrows blood vessels, and may thus lower blood pressure and reduce the work the heart has to perform. Since the ways in which these two kinds of drugs work are different, your doctor will decide which drug is most appropriate for you. If you have a heart attack and/or heart failure, you should get a prescription for ACE inhibitors or ARBs if you have decreased heart function before you leave the hospital.
Percent of Heart Attack Patients Given Beta Blocker at Discharge
Beta blockers are a type of medicine that is used to lower blood pressure, treat chest pain (angina) and heart failure, and to help prevent a heart attack. Beta blockers relieve the stress on your heart by slowing the heart rate and reducing the force with which your heart muscles contract to pump blood. They also help keep blood vessels from constricting in your heart, brain, and body. If you have a heart attack, you should get a prescription for a beta blocker before you leave the hospital.
Percent of Heart Attack Patients Given PCI Within 90 Minutes Of Arrival
Percutaneous Coronary Interventions (PCI) are procedures that are among the most effective ways to open blocked blood vessels and help prevent further heart muscle damage. A PCI is performed by a doctor to open the blockage and increase blood flow in blocked blood vessels. Improving blood flow to your heart as quickly as possible lessens the damage to your heart muscle. It also can increase your chances of surviving a heart attack. There are three procedures commonly described by the term PCI. These procedures all involve a catheter (a flexible tube) that is inserted, often through your leg, and guided through the blood vessels to the blockage. The three procedures are: * Angioplasty--a balloon is inflated to open the blood vessel. * Stenting--a small wire tube called a stent is placed in the blood vessel to hold it open. * Atherectomy--a blade or laser cuts through and removes the blockage.
Survival After a Heart Attack
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States even in light of dramatic improvements in survival rates and quality of life over the past 40 years. The Medicare Hospital Quality Alliance has released an initial report to the public on heart attack deaths in the United States; the most recent data is from July 2007 to June 2010.
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El Camino Hospital |
Average for all reporting hospitals in the U.S. |
|
Survival rate, 30 days after heart attack* |
84.7% |
84.5% |
*adjusted for patient risk factors at time of admission.