Care of Patients Having a Heart Attack at the University of Colorado Hospital
The heart is a muscle that needs a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood to nourish it. If the heart's blood vessels become clogged or spasm, the blood cannot reach the heart, and the heart muscle is damaged. This blockage of blood flow and damage to the heart muscle is a heart attack. More than one million Americans have a heart attack each year.
Care of Patients during and after a Heart Attack
When a patient arrives at our hospital with symptoms of a heart attack (also known as Acute Myocardial Infarction or AMI), a team of physicians and nurses begin immediately assessing his/her condition and planning care. We follow the American Heart Association and American Academy of Cardiology recommended guidelines. The following charts show how well we meet these guidelines.
Care Guidelines
Aspirin on Arrival and Discharge
A heart attack patient should receive aspirin on arrival to the hospital. Later, when the patient gets ready for discharge, his physician and nurses should discuss important information with him, including what medications he should continue to take at home. Some of the medications may be the same as those given during the hospital stay, such as aspirin. These medications are important to help the heart muscles work efficiently and hopefully help prevent any relapses.
Heart Catheterization
If the patient is found to have blockage in his vessels, we should be able to diagnose and treat it by inserting a small tube, or catheter, into the blood vessels that flow around the heart and clear the blockage. This procedure is known as a "cardiac cath" or PCI, which stands for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention. The median time to start this procedure should be 90 minutes or less.
Support to Quit Smoking
If the patient is a smoker, he should receive information from his physician, nurse, or other member of his care team about the many resources that are available to help him stop smoking.
Care of Patients Having Heart Failure at the University of Colorado Hospital
The heart is a muscle that may become weak, making it unable to pump enough blood to nourish the rest of the body. This weakening of the heart muscle is heart failure. Over five million Americans have heart failure.
Care of Patients with Heart Failure
When a patient arrives at our hospital with symptoms of heart failure (also known as HF ), a team of physicians and nurses begin immediately assessing his/her condition and planning care. We follow the American Heart Association and American Academy of Cardiology recommended guidelines.
Care Guidelines
Going Home
As the patient gets ready for discharge, his physician and nurses should discuss important information with him. A patient with heart failure should be instructed on which medications to take and when, what foods to eat and avoid, what activities he can be involved in, what to do if symptoms return, and when to follow up with the physician.
