Heart Attack Symptoms? 'Just get Here'
to McAllen Heart Hospital, We'll Take Care
of the Rest
When a heart attack strikes, every second counts. A quick response can save a life and/or greatly reduce disability. Fortunately, local residents who develop cardiac symptoms can get the expert care they need close to home at McAllen Heart Hospital -- the first and only free-standing hospital in the Rio Grande Valley dedicated to cardiovascular care.
"We use national heart attack protocols to make sure patients receive the 'right care, right away,'" says Carlos Pimentel, MD, Chief of Cardiology at McAllen Heart Hospital. "Our approach makes a difference. We have outstanding cardiac outcomes. In fact, we received a five-star rating for our treatment of heart attack patients from HealthGrades." HealthGrades is a leading independent company that rates hospitals across the country.
Heart Attacks Are Medical Emergencies
Heart attack patients typically first see staff members in the emergency room (ER) at McAllen Heart Hospital. The ER team immediately begins evaluating patients who have heart attack symptoms and mobilizes the cardiac catheterization team so it will be ready if patients need cardiac procedures.
Whenever possible, ER physicians perform heart-risk assessments to evaluate patients' actual risks for heart attack. They'll ask patients about their medical history and heart disease risk factors, examine patients and review their electrocardiograms (EKGs), which record the heart's electrical activity. This assessment helps doctors determine which additional tests patients need -- including stress EKGs, echocardiograms, C-reactive protein blood tests, cardiac computed tomography (CT) calcium scoring, CT angiographies or traditional coronary angiographies -- to confirm or rule out the presence of coronary artery disease.
"Our goal is to make definitive diagnoses as quickly as we can so we can get patients to the cath lab, where we can perform angioplasty procedures to open blocked vessels and restore blood flow to the heart," Dr. Pimentel explains.
Don't Delay -- Seek Care Right Away
While the staff at McAllen Heart Hospital is ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide advanced care to heart attack patients, Dr. Pimentel says it's vital that patients seek immediate care for heart attack symptoms.
"Sometimes we have only one chance to help patients, so we tell them to 'Just get here,'" he says. "Then our highly trained staff can provide them with advanced care that could save their lives."
|  Image courtesy of Toshiba Coronary CT scans provide clear and detailed images of the heart quickly, so doctors can start appropriate treatment faster. The scans are also easier on patients because they are completely noninvasive. |
New technology is helping doctors at McAllen Heart Hospital diagnose heart disease promptly and accurately. The hospital has a 64-slice computed tomography (CT) scanner that gives doctors real-time views of the heart muscles, chambers of the heart, the coronary arteries, the heart valves and noncardiac structures in the chest.
"More cardiologists are using coronary CT scans instead of traditional invasive tests because they get clear and detailed images of the heart more quickly and can start appropriate treatment faster," says Robert Gonzalez, Assistant Director of Radiology at McAllen Heart Hospital. "The coronary CT scans are also easier on patients because they are completely noninvasive."
During coronary CT scans, patients simply hold their breath for about six seconds while the scanner passes over their bodies. The scanner produces high-resolution images that help doctors assess the buildup of plaque in the arteries, the heart’s ability to pump, how well the heart valves function, heart defects and other important cardiac factors.
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