Heart Attack

A heart attack, also known as a myocardial infarction, typically occurs when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood through a coronary artery that feeds the heart.

High-risk individuals include those with heart disease, kidney dialysis patients, diabetics, those with heart failure and the elderly.   Patients with the following symptoms should call 911 and get to the nearest emergency department. MetroSouth Medical Center chest pain experts are standing by to help you.  The board-certified emergency room physicians are experienced in diagnosing the cause of chest pain quickly and have a seamless working relationship with the cardiologists, interventional cardiologists and thoracic surgeons at MetroSouth Medical Center to offer the most advanced treatments for patients suffering from heart attacks.

Symptoms:

• Squeezing pain, fullness or pressure in the middle of your chest lasting more than a few minutes.

• Fainting

• Sweating

• Pain extending beyond the chest to arm, back, shoulder or even to the teeth and jaw

• Vomiting and nausea

• Shortness of breath

Symptoms of a heart attack in women are many times different from that experienced by men.  In some cases, these symptoms are less descript and identified with a heart attack.  Over 250,000 women die each year in the United States from heart disease, making it the number one killer or our mothers, sisters, aunts and daughters.  For women, heart attack symptoms can also include:

• Heartburn or pain in the abdomen

• Clammy skin

• Dizziness and/or lightheadedness

• Unexplained fatigue

MetroSouth Medical Center offers a compreshensive array of treatments for patients suffering from a heart attack.  A mutlidisciplinary approach to treatment yields the best results.  Typical treatments for heart attack victims include:

• Medications:

  • Aspirin

  • Thrombolytics (clot busters)

  • Superaspirins such as Plavix

  • Other blood-thinning medications, such as heparin

  • Nitroglycerin

  • Beta blockers

  • Pain relievers such as morphine

  • Cholesterol-lowering medications such as fibrates, statins, niacin and bile acid sequestrants

• Surgery: Angioplasty, bypass surgery and stenting are common procedures to treat heart attacks:

  • Coronary artery bypass grafting (commonly called bypass or CABG) takes an artery or vein from elsewhere in your body and uses it to bypass a narrowed or blocked artery.

  • Stenting and Angioplasty involves inserting a small balloon into your narrowed artery, usually via a leg artery. The balloon is inflated to widen the artery and then a metal mesh stent is inserted to hold the artery open. 

A heart attack is an emergency and you should immediately call 911 if you are having any of the symptoms listed above.  If you are interested in preventing heart attack, think of the heart disease specialists at MetroSouth Medical Center.  To schedule an appointment please call 708-489-7925.